Late innings trip up H-M-S softball team

Opponents' late-inning scoring sprees kept Hartley-Melvin-Sanborn winless in three softball games last week.

An eight-run fifth inning in South O'Brien's 13-2 win was a sign of things to come. The Wolverines added four runs in the first inning and another in the third during the June 29 contest in Hartley.

"We were able to keep ourselves in the game through our defense," Hawk coach Carissa Post said. "But then our defense slowly started to fade and we ended up with costly errors."

H-M-S cut the early deficit with two runs in the first inning. The Hawks did not score again, although they had the bases loaded in the fifth.

Taya Mason, Jessica Riedemann and Bailey VerHelst each had one hit. Trey Haag walked three times and drove in a run, and VerHelst added two walks and an RBI.

Mason pitched 4-1/3 innings, allowing 12 runs and seven hits. Haag gave up two hits and a run.

• vs. GT/RA

The 20-6 final score of H-M-S's non-conference game with Graettinger-Terril/Ruthven-Ayrshire on June 30 is somewhat deceiving as it was competitive in the early innings.

H-M-S took a 4-1 lead in the first inning, taking advantage of two errors and three walks. Brynn Webber drove in a run with a double.

But GT/RA came back with a vengeance, scoring four runs in the second and third innings, six runs in the fourth and five in the fifth.

"We cannot win games against decent teams when we make eight errors, walk 12 batters and have four hit by pitch," Post noted.

Webber's double drove in both Hawk runs in the fourth inning. They came up empty after loading the bases in the fifth.

Leading hitters were Webber with two doubles and three RBI; Hannah Jochims with a double and a single; and Cadence Klein and Elle Mastbergen with two singles.

Trey Haag was the losing pitcher. She allowed five runs, one hit and three walks. Taya Mason gave up nine runs and one hit, and Webber allowed six runs, three hits and five walks.

• vs. Hinton

Hinton's eight runs over the final two innings sealed H-M-S's fate in a 10-0 road loss on July 1.

The Blackhawks scored once in the first inning and again in the third, and came up with five runs in the fifth inning and three more in the sixth.

"Had a great game for the first four innings," Post said. "In the fifth inning not only did their hitting go up, but so did our errors."

Hinton collected eight hits off two Hawk pitchers. Trey Haag took the loss, allowing seven runs in 4-1/3 innings. Taya Mason allowed the final three runs.

Hannah Jochims' two singles were the only hits for H-M-S. Cadence Klein walked twice.

H-M-S fell to 2-7 overall and 2-6 in War Eagle Conference play. The Hawks concluded the regular season on July 8.