Hartley-Melvin-Sanborn rallied from six runs down to tie things up in its June 4 softball game at Cherokee. Then HMS scored two runs in the eighth inning while holding the Braves to one to capture a hard earned 9-8 victory.
Each team scored once in the first inning but the host team from the Lakes Conference added two runs in the third and four more in the fourth to take a 7-1 lead. The Hawks got back in the game with a three-spot in the fifth inning. Down 7-4 in the top of the seventh, Bailey VerHelst cracked a three-run homer to knot the score at 7-7. Winning pitcher Gracie Knobloch tossed a 1-2-3 bottom of the seventh, sending the contest into extra-innings.
The Hawks were ready as Kamryn Ebel led off the visitor half of the eighth with a double. Abby Kunzman also drilled a two-bagger putting runners on second and third. Kinsey Schirmer followed with a base hit to score Ebel and advance Kunzman to third. Knobloch then grounded out to first but Kunzman scored on the play.
Cherokee made some noise in the bottom of the inning. With one out the Braves got a single and a walk to put the tying runs on base. An error then filled the bases. A base hit followed but no run was scored as the lead runner was called out for interference. With the bases again full, HMS committed a second error allowing a run to score. Facing another bases-loaded situation, Knobloch took matters into her own hands by getting a strikeout to end the game.
The Braves stranded seven runners in the game. HMS left eight on base.
“The girls played a good game,” assessed Hawk head coach Stephanie Bronstad. “We had some big hits! The girls got behind on score and never gave up. Gracie came in to finish the game. I’m proud of the girls so far this season. The hard work is paying off!”
Kunzman enjoyed a 4-for-5 night at the plate, including singles in the second, fifth and sixth innings. She scored a run in the fifth. Going 3-for-5 were Schirmer, Knobloch and Abby Otto. Schirmer singled and scored in the first and also came home after hitting an RBI single in the fifth. Knobloch singled and scored in the fifth and had a base hit in the first. She was aboard by way of a single in the seventh when VerHelst went deep. Also getting a base hit and scoring ahead of VerHelst was Otto. Her bunt single plated a run in the fifth and followed her base hit in the third. The Hawks rapped out 15 hits in all.
Knobloch moved from shortstop into the pitcher’s circle to start the fifth inning. She allowed just the one unearned run in the eighth and only three hits. Knobloch fanned four and walked two. Starting pitcher Ebel’s four-inning stint on the rubber included seven runs (all earned) on eight hits. She recorded two walks and one strikeout.
HMS 1 0 0 0 3 0 3 2 – 9
Cherokee 1 0 2 4 0 0 0 1 – 8