It's a game of inches

Remsen St. Mary's baseball team proved it can hit and score runs in bunches against Hartley-Melvin-Sanborn. The No. 3 team in Class 1A put up big numbers during an 18-0 win on June 12 at Remsen.

St. Mary's scored six runs in each of the first three innings. Four H-M-S pitchers combined to allow 13 hits.

"We went with a pitcher by committee because of the four-game week and needing to keep guys eligible to pitch in other games," Hawk coach Jeremy Gloden said. "It really didn't matter who we put on the mound. St. Mary's hit it very well. They are very solid and made it tough on us all night."

Losing pitcher Trenton Vollink, Tyson Tessum, Tanner Tesch and Evan Eilers combined to walk four batters and strike out three. Only 12 of St. Mary's runs were earned.

Jacob Cates was H-M-S's only baserunner, reaching on a single in the second inning.

• vs. Emmetsburg

Back on the diamond the next night at Emmetsburg, the Hawks could not push runs across when they had the opportunity and came up short in a 2-1 loss.

"This one hurt," Gloden acknowledged. "I told the guys that baseball is a game of inches and the ball didn't bounce our way."

Cates pitched a one-hitter, walked four and struck out 12. The E-Hawks scored both of their runs in the sixth inning without a hit.

The Hawks had several opportunities to build on the 1-0 lead they took in the first inning on a single by Bradley Van Beek. H-M-S left the bases loaded in the sixth and stranded runners at third base in the third and fourth innings.

"We had numerous chances to break through, but we just couldn't get that one big hit," Gloden noted. "We left nine guys on base and even if we find a way to get half of those guys home, it is a totally different ballgame."

Van Beek finished with two hits and Tesch had one.

• vs. Gehlen Catholic

H-M-S faced another Top 10-ranked team when Gehlen Catholic (1A No. 10) came to Hartley on June 14. The Hawks were held to just two hits in a 13-0 loss.

The hits were a double by Eilers and a single by Tesch. Jack Mastbergen walked twice.

Gehlen Catholic scored four runs in the first inning and three runs in the third, fourth and fifth innings.

Tesch allowed 13 hits and 10 runs, walked three and struck out three in four innings. Eilers gave up three runs on four hits in relief.

• vs. West Sioux

Early scoring set the tone for West Sioux during a 7-2 win over H-M-S on June 16 in Hartley.

H-M-S's first-inning run cut West Sioux's lead in half, but the Falcons scored two more runs in the second inning and again in the third to build a 6-1 lead.

West Sioux scored their final run in the sixth inning and H-M-S finished the game with a run in the seventh.

At the plate, Vollink had one hit, one run scored and an RBI. Cates, Eilers and Tesch also had one hit, and Ethan Diehm scored a run.

Tessum pitched the first 4-1/3 innings and allowed eight hits, walked five and struck out five. Eilers gave up a run on one hit, walked three and struck out one.

H-M-S (2-12, 0-7) concludes the regular season with a varsity doubleheader at South O'Brien on June 26 and at Trinity Christian (Hull) on June 28.