A night of firsts

Hartley-Melvin-Sanborn scored in every inning against Harris-Lake Park, capping the War Eagle Conference softball game with six runs in the seventh to wrap up a 15-1 win on May 28 at Lake Park.

H-M-S jumped out to a 3-0 lead, thanks to an RBI double by Taya Mason, a run-scoring single by Gracie Knobloch and a wild pitch, the first of many that plagued the Wolves throughout the game. The Hawks scored twice in the second inning on an error and a wild pitch.

H-M-S scored single runs in each of the next four innings. Knobloch drove in the run in the third with a double; Mason singled and scored on a wild pitch in the fourth; Jessica Riedemann singled in the run in the fifth; and Elle Mastbergen grounded out to drive in the run in the sixth.

The first seven H-M-S batters reached base in the seventh. The big hit in the inning was Knobloch's two-run single.

H-LP scored its run in the fourth and seemed poised to add more after loading the bases. But two strikeouts and a runner retired at the plate ended the threat.

At the plate, Knobloch finished with three hits and four runs batted in, and Mason had two hits and two RBI. Darby Mastbergen hit a triple.

In her first varsity pitching win, Knobloch allowed three hits, walked three and recorded 13 strikeouts.

The win was also the first for Hawk coach Stephanie Bronstad.

• vs. MMCRU

The Hawks led for much of their season-opener on May 26, but MMCRU took control with nine runs in the sixth inning to claim a 12-6 win.

H-M-S took the lead in the first, when Darby Mastbergen drove in the first run with a triple and stole home to score the second. Elle Mastbergen's solo home run in the second inning gave the Hawks a three-run advantage.

MMCRU cut the deficit to 3-2 in the second inning and tied the score with a run in the fourth.

The Hawks regained the lead in the top of the sixth when Abby Kunzman hit a double to score Bailey VerHelst.

In the home half of that inning, the Royals put together six hits, including a triple, and took advantage of three errors to seal their win.

H-M-S did score two runs in the seventh on a single by Darby Mastbergen and a groundout by VerHelst, but the Royals' advantage was too much to overcome.

Gracie Knobloch, Taya Mason and Eliza Tewes each had one hit.

Mason pitched six innings and allowed 13 hits, walked three and struck out three.

The Hawks' game on May 27 with George-Little Rock/Central Lyon was rained out. H-M-S (1-1, 1-0) plays at Gehlen Catholic on June 4 and at Hinton on June 9. They will also host Akron-Westfield (Class 1A No. 8) on June 7.