Emmetsburg overcame a one-run deficit with five unanswered runs to upend Hartley-Melvin-Sanborn 6-2 June 15 at Emmetsburg. HMS led 2-1 after 2-1/2 innings but the E-Hawks posted two runs in the third and three more in the fourth to claim the victory.
“It was a tough loss,” remarked Hawk head coach Jeremy Gloden. “We started out well, but had one bad inning again and couldn’t sustain it. Sam (Heyn) threw well enough to win again.”
Heyn went the distance, allowing only five hits and just one earned run. He recorded five strikeouts while avoiding any walks or hit batters. The Hawks committed six errors behind him.
HMS got on the scoreboard first with a run in the second. Jacob Cates led off the inning with a single. His courtesy runner, Tyson Tessum, advanced to second on a passed ball. Keaton Graves followed with a base hit to score Tessum.
After the hosts from the Twin Lakes Conference tied things up in the bottom of the inning, the Hawks took back the lead in the third. Keith DeBoer was the first batter of the inning and was hit by a pitch. Heyn singled, moving DeBoer to second. Jordan Ortega’s base hit filled the bases. With one down the E-Hawk catcher corralled a ball hit by Cates’ and stepped on home plate to force out DeBoer. With the bases still loaded, Graves picked up his second RBI of the night by drawing a walk.
Now down by four, HMS tried to mount a comeback in the fifth. With one out Ortega was hit by a pitch and Dawson Schiphoff followed with a double to center. The Hawks were denied a run, however, when Ortega was thrown out at the plate. Cates walked and Schiphoff went to third on a passed ball but a comebacker to the pitcher ended the inning. HMS stranded eight runners in the game. The E-Hawks left three on base.
HMS 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 – 2
E’burg 0 1 2 3 0 0 x – 6