Hartley-Melvin-Sanborn and George-Little Rock evidently felt that a chilly, blustery and overcast First of July was a good day to play two. That’s just what they did with HMS sweeping both ends of the varsity doubleheader. One hit turned out to be enough for the Hawks to win the opener 4-2. The pitching got a little more support in the nightcap as HMS won the War Eagle Conference contest 10-3. The Hawks played error-free ball throughout the doubleheader. HMS finishes in seventh place in the conference with a record of 4-6.
“The girls played well tonight” remarked Hawk head coach Stephanie Bronstad. “Our defense backed up our pitching. We could have hit the ball better in both games but we came out with two wins which is what counts. All three pitchers this year have played well and I am glad to have one more year with two of them to see how much more they develop. Hitting we will continue to work on.”
HMS 4, GLR 2
This game was very much a pitchers’ dual. Gracie Knobloch allowed two hits and struck out 15. The Mustangs’ Viktoria Storm recorded 12 strikeouts and yielded just the one hit. Five of the six runs reached base either by a walk or a hit by pitch. The other got on board courtesy of a wild pitch on strike three.
The aforementioned wild pitch put the leadoff runner on for George-Little Rock in the top of the second (the Mustangs were the visitors in the first game). The next batter walked. A two-out double scored both runners.
Delaney Murphy started the bottom of the third by drawing a walk. She also started a trend as Frankie Mohni, Kamryn Ebel and Addy Sheeler joined the bases-on-balls party with Sheeler getting the RBI.
HMS took the lead in the fifth. Ebel was hit by a pitch as was Sheeler. Knobloch executed a sacrifice bunt to move the runners up a base. Next up for the Hawks was – wait for it – at hit! Eliza Tewes belted a double to center field, driving in both runners.
The Hawks took out a little insurance in the bottom of the sixth. Natalie Daggett coaxed a walk and Lindsey Van Es ran for her. Abby Otto’s groundout got Van Es to second and she advanced to third on a wild pitch. Murphy then picked up an RBI on a ground ball to second.
Knobloch walked a total of four batters. Her Mustang counterpart issued walks to eight batters and hit three. HMS left seven runners on base, the Mustangs five.
HMS 10, GLR 3
In the regularly scheduled WEC contest, the Hawks outhit the home team 12-3. HMS scored four times in the second inning, once in the third and twice more in the fourth to lead 7-0. The Mustangs got their first two hits in the bottom of the fourth and scored two runs. They added another hit and another run in the sixth. The Hawks removed any doubt as to the outcome by tacking on three runs in the seventh.
Knobloch batted 3-for-5, including a double and a two run single, and scored two runs. Ebel went 2-for-5 with an RBI on a bunt single in the second and two runs scored. Otto’s 2-for-2 night included a run scored in the second and an RBI in the third. Kinsey Schirmer was 2-for-5 and scored a run.
Murphy hit an RBI single in the second and later scored. Tewes slugged an RBI double in the seventh and Sheeler singled in a run in the second. Mohni walked and scored in the seventh. Natalie Daggett was hit by a pitch in the second and came around to score. Cammy Wilson drew a walk in the fourth to force in a run. Pinch runner Reese Croatt scored a run, also in the fourth.
Despite their success at the plate, or maybe as evidence of it, the Hawks stranded 10 runners. George-Little Rock again left five aboard.
Ebel got the pitching start and went six innings. She allowed three hits and three earned runs while striking out three batters, walking two and hitting two. Schirmer entered the pitching circle to start the bottom of the seventh and issued a walk before retiring the final three batters.
Game One
GLR 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 – 2
HMS 0 0 1 0 2 1 x – 4
Game 2
HMS 0 4 1 2 0 0 3 – 10
GLR 0 0 0 2 0 1 0 – 3