Hartley-Melvin-Sanborn sent 11 batters to the plate in third inning against Trinity Christian and scored five runs. As it turned out the other four Hawk runs on the night were not needed as HMS tamed the Tigers 9-4 June 29 at Hartley. The win allowed HMS to finish tied for eighth in the War Eagle Conference with a mark of 3-7. Winners of three straight, the Hawks boosted their overall record to 10-14 entering tournament play.
“It was a great way to end the season,” expressed HMS head coach Stephanie Bronstad. “Both Kamryn (Ebel) and Gracie (Knobloch) took care of business on the mound and the defense was on behind them. The bats came alive in the third inning and the girls kept up the intensity throughout the game. I’m excited to go into post-season with this team! Changing the culture of HMS softball once game at a time!”
After Trinity scored a run in the third, Alexis Grover began the bottom of the inning with a single. Base hits by Cadence Klein and Kinsey Schirmer filled the bases. Knobloch changed that by ripping a three-run triple. She came home on a double from Bailey VerHelst. After Abby Kunzman walked, Eliza Tewes singled to plate courtesy runner Morgan Grooters with the fifth run of the inning.
VerHelst singled to open the Hawk fourth and Kunzman was hit by a pitch. Tewes’s third single of the game scored Grooters and sent Kunzman to third. Ebel reached base on an error, allowing Kunzman to come home.
The Tigers made the margin a little tighter with three unearned runs in the fifth. HMS got two of those runs back in its half of the inning. Grover drew a leadoff walk which was followed by a strikeout and a groundout to first. With two down, Knobloch singled. VerHelst delivered an RBI base hit, scoring pinch runner Abby Otto. Knobloch went to third on the play and came home on a wild pitch.
The 12 Hawk hits included a double by Schirmer in the first and singles by Tewes and Ebel in the second. HMS left nine runners on base while the Tigers stranded a lone baserunner.
Starting pitcher Ebel went five innings to pick up the win. She allowed four runs on six hits but just one of the runs was earned. Ebel struck out three without giving up a walk or hitting a batter. Knobloch moved to the pitcher’s circle to start the sixth inning. She tossed a pair of one-two-three innings which included two strikeouts. There were only two errors in the game, one by each team.
Trinity 0 0 1 0 3 0 0 – 4
HMS 0 0 5 2 2 0 x – 9