Winning is twice as nice

The 2021 baseball season got off to an exciting start on May 25, as Hartley-Melvin-Sanborn rallied in the seventh inning to defeat Sheldon, 2-1, in Hartley.

Each team was able to keep the other off the scoreboard through six innings. Hawk catcher Jacob Cates threw out two Orabs attempting to steal in the first inning while Sheldon escaped a Hawk scoring threat in the second.

Sheldon scored its run in the top of the seventh on a two-out single by Max Hamill.

In the bottom of the inning, Ben Haack singled, Nick Bronstad walked and Keith DeBoer laid down a bunt and beat the throw to first, loading the bases. Haack scored the tying run on a passed ball. After Jordan Ortega walked, Dawson Schiphoff hit the ball through the Orabs' drawn-in infield, driving home pinch-runner Tyson Tessum with the winning run.

Samuel Heyn pitched the complete game to earn the win. He gave up three hits, walked three and struck out 10.

H-M-S recorded eight hits, including three by Schiphoff. Bronstad walked twice.

• vs. Harris-Lake Park

A three-run fourth inning gave the Hawks all the cushion they would need to defeat Harris-Lake Park, 6-2, on May 28 at Lake Park.

Singles by Keith DeBoer and Keaton Graves and a walk to Jordan Ortega loaded the bases to start the inning. Dawson Schiphoff's walk drove in the first run and Jacob Cates and Samuel Heyn hit consecutive singles to push the lead to 5-2.

Graves doubled to start the game and scored on a single by Ortega. H-M-S's second run came on a bases-loaded walk to Ortega in the second.

H-M-S added an insurance run in the sixth on DeBoer's two-out single that scored Trenton Vollink.

Both of H-LP's runs scored in the third inning.

The Hawks pounded out 11 hits, led by Graves who was 4-for-5 with a double. Cates, Heyn and DeBoer had two hits each.

Ortega pitched all seven innings and allowed six hits, two runs and three walks. He struck out six.

• vs. MMCRU

Sandwiched between H-M-S's wins was a 7-3 loss to MMCRU, on May 26 at Remsen.

After stranding runners in scoring position in each of the first three innings, H-M-S tied the score in the fourth on a single by Ben Haack. Two runs in the fifth, both of which scored as a result of errors, gave the Hawks a 3-2 lead.

The Royals scored single runs in the third and fourth innings before taking the lead for good with four runs in the fifth. MMCRU then added a run in the sixth.

Hawk coach Jeremy Gloden said the loss was "a tough one to a very solid MMCRU team."

Trenton Vollink led H-M-S with two hits and two walks, and six other Hawks had a hit.

Dawson Schiphoff pitched the first 4-2/3 innings and took the loss. He allowed 10 hits, walked one and struck out two. Haack walked three and struck out two and Jordan Ortega allowed a hit and a walk.

H-M-S (2-1, 1-0) plays at Gehlen Catholic on June 4, hosts Akron-Westfield on June 7 and plays at Hinton on June 9.