Hartley-Melvin-Sanborn was part of the four team field at the Wolverine Softball Tournament played June 12 at Swanson Sports Complex in Paullina. In their first game the Hawks got roughed up by Ridge View 18-5 in three innings. HMS took on host South O’Brien in the consolation game. A streak of wildness by their pitchers led to the Hawks’ downfall in the second game by the score of 8-0.
Ridge View 18, HMS 5
Early on the game appeared to be a high scoring affair. The Raptors hung five runs on the board in the first inning, only to see HMS respond in kind in the second. Taya Mason doubled and Cadence Klein followed with a single. A walk to Eliza Tewes loaded the bases. Elle Mastbergen was hit by a pitch, forcing in Mason. With two outs, Gracie Knobloch drew a walk and Klein came home. Jessica Riedemann got on board by way of an error, allowing Tewes to score. Another error, on a ball hit by Darby Mastbergen, allowed Elle Mastbergen and Knobloch to come home.
Ridge View scored seven more runs in the bottom of the second and this time the Hawks were not able to answer. The Raptors tacked on an additional six runs in the bottom of the third to end the game.
The hits by Mason and Klein were it for the Hawks. Knobloch got the pitching start. She pitched the first inning and faced six batters in the second, all of whom reached base. Mason relieved her and finished the inning. She got two outs in the third before Ridge View ended the game.
Knobloch surrendered 11 runs (10 earned) on six hits. She walked four batters, struck out two and hit two. Mason allowed seven runs on five hits. Just three of the runs were earned. She fanned three batters along with walking one and hitting one. HMS committed four errors.
HMS 0 5 0 – 5
Ridge View 5 7 6 – 18
South O’Brien 8, HMS 0
South O’Brien lost to Sioux Central 12-8 in the opening game of the tournament, so it was the Wolverines whom HMS faced in their second game. Through 5-1/2 innings, the run scored by South O’Brien in the bottom of the second was the only one of the game. That changed in the bottom of the sixth. First one and then a second Hawk pitcher labored to find the strike zone. Seven walks and seven runs later, the Wolverines led the game 8-0. The length of that inning also meant time had literally run out on the Hawks and the game was ended after six innings to get the championship game underway. In that title game, Sioux Central downed Ridge View 8-2.
Through five innings Knobloch had allowed the one run and just five hits. She was gone from the pitching circle in the sixth after walking three batters and yielding a hit – all without recording an out. Mason entered to meet the bases-loaded challenge. She issued free passes to four of the six batters she faced. Knobloch’s pitching line showed five earned runs on six hits with six walks, five strikeouts and a hit batter. Mason walked the four batters but gave up no hits. The three runs charged to her were all earned.
Darby Mastbergen singled in the first inning and also had a base hit with one out in the sixth. Abigail Kunzman drew a walk in the third. Tewes walked to begin the fifth inning. Elle Mastbergen followed with a single but the threat ended there. Mason followed up Darby Mastbergen’s sixth-inning single with one of her own. The half-inning ended abruptly when Klein lined out to short and Mastbergen, who had swiped two bases, was doubled off third.
HMS recorded a double play of its own in the fifth. Catcher Elle Mastbergen caught a pop-up and then threw to Tewes to nail a pinch runner who had strayed too far off first base.
HMS 0 0 0 0 0 0 – 0
S. O’Brien 1 0 0 0 0 7 – 8