Lack of timely hits impacts final week of regular season

Not enough hits or hits not coming at the right time plagued the Hartley-Melvin-Sanborn softball team during three losses last week.

The Hawks' best chance for a win came against Graettinger-Terril/Ruthven-Ayrshire. They were engaged in a 1-1 deadlock until the seventh inning, when the Titans scored the run they needed to earn a 2-1 win on June 29 at Ruthven.

"The girls played a great game defensively," said Hawk coach Stephanie Bronstad. "We hit the ball pretty well, but not as well as we needed."

H-M-S answered GT/RA's first-inning run with one in the second. Darby Mastbergen was hit by a pitch and later scored on a groundout by Elle Mastbergen.

Neither team took advantage of what scoring opportunities they had during the next four innings. But in the seventh the Titans used two walks and an error to push the winning run across the plate.

GT/RA was limited to just three hits by Hawk pitcher Gracie Knobloch, who walked four and struck out four.

"Gracie pitched a tough game and stayed competitive on the mound. She stayed tough up to the last inning," Bronstad noted.

One of Darby Mastbergen's two hits was a double. Meghan Larson, Jessica Riedemann, Eliza Tewes and Knobloch each contributed a single.

• vs. South O'Brien

Two big innings were difference-makers in H-M-S's 11-1 loss to South O'Brien, on June 28 at Paullina.

The Wolverines broke a 1-1 tie with a home run in the fourth inning and scored three more runs on two hits and three Hawk errors. Five runs in the fifth inning and one more in the sixth clinched the win for South O'Brien.

"We had one bad inning that hurt us," Bronstad said.

H-M-S scored in the second inning when Darby Mastbergen singled and went home on a groundout by Taya Mason.

The Hawks' hits were singles by Cadence Klein, Bailey VerHelst and Mastbergen.

"The bats just aren't coming at the right time," Bronstad acknowledged. "The girls are playing competitively but are just falling short in the bats."

Mason went the distance in the pitcher's circle. She surrendered 12 hits, walked three and struck out five.

• vs. Trinity Christian

Limited to four hits, H-M-S could not keep pace with Trinity Christian during a 7-0 loss on June 30 at Hull.

The Hawks had only one baserunner through the first four innings. They left the bases loaded in the sixth and stranded two runners in the seventh.

Gracie Knobloch hit a double and Darby Mastbergen, Elle Mastbergen and Jessica Riedemann each hit a single.

"We hit the ball late in the game but couldn't move the runners," Bronstad said.

Trinity Christian scored a run in the first inning, five runs in the third and added a run in the fourth.

Starting pitcher Taya Mason took the loss. She gave up six runs, four hits and two walks while striking out six. Knobloch allowed two hits and struck out five.

H-M-S finished the regular season with a record of 4-16 overall and 2-8 in War Eagle Conference play.