Having their ups and downs

Despite interruptions due to weather as well as injuries, Hartley-Melvin-Sanborn's softball team continued its winning ways against Trinity Christian on June 1. The Hawks played well in the field and scored all of its runs in one inning to earn the 3-0 win.

Kinsey Schirmer and Gracie Knobloch singled and Kamryn Ebel walked to start the fourth inning. Eliza Tewes singled to drive in the first run and Addy Sheeler followed with a single to add a pair of insurance runs.

H-M-S stranded two runners in the first inning and a runner at third base in the fifth.

"We have some injuries that affect our batting lineup," Hawk coach Stephanie Bronstad noted. "The batting didn't string together like we wanted, but not playing for three days slowed down our playing and hitting."

H-M-S finished with nine hits, including three by Knobloch, two by Schirmer and one each by Cadence Klein, Morgan Grooters, Sheeler and Tewes.

Knobloch pitched "a great game" to earn the win, limiting the Tigers to four hits. She walked three batters and struck out 12.

• vs. Gehlen Catholic

An early deficit was too much to overcome during a 5-3 loss at Gehlen Catholic on June 2.

The Hawks led first, as Kinsey Schirmer drew a two-out walk in the first inning and scored on a double by Gracie Knobloch. Gehlen Catholic combined four hits and a pair of walks in the second inning to take the lead, 3-1.

"Our pitching started out rocky. We made some changes and things went our way then," Bronstad noted.

Knobloch drove in another run in the third inning, but the Jays answered to extend the lead to two runs. H-M-S again cut the deficit in the sixth when Frankie Mohni singled and scored on a groundout by Abby Kunzman. But Gehlen Catholic added an insurance run to make the final margin 5-3.

"They hit the ball well," Bronstad said. "We hit but didn't string it together like we needed."

Eliza Tewes hit two singles, and Knobloch, Kunzman, Mohni and Schirmer each had one hit.

Kamryn Ebel pitched two innings, giving up five hits, three runs and three walks. Knobloch gave up two runs and three hits and struck out five in four innings of relief.

H-M-S fell to 2-1 in War Eagle Conference play and 5-2 overall. The Hawks host Unity Christian on June 9 and then play in the South O'Brien tournament on June 10, at Remsen St. Mary's (1A No. 3) on June 12 and at Emmetsburg on June 13. A rematch with Gehlen Catholic at home is set for June 14.