0-for-June streak ends

Big hits in key situations propelled Hartley-Melvin-Sanborn to a 7-5 win over West Bend-Mallard on June 20. The win at Gilmore City was the Hawks' first since May 31.

Despite having three hits and two walks in the second inning, the Hawks were unable to score. But that changed in the third when Jacob Cates hit his second double of the game to drive in the first run and Blake Meendering followed with a two-out, two-run double to push the Hawks' lead to 3-0.

The Hawks doubled their run total on Bradley Van Beek's three-run homer in the seventh. Meendering then hit his second double and scored on a passed ball.

West Bend-Mallard scored a run in the sixth inning and scored four runs in the seventh to cut the final margin to two.

"West Bend-Mallard made us earn every out in that last inning," Hawk coach Jeremy Gloden observed. "It was a good team win. We had all three phases working together."

Cates, Meendering and Van Beek all had two hits, and Evan Eilers, Tanner Tesch and Tyson Tessum each had one.

Cates pitched 6-2/3 innings to earn the win. He allowed seven hits, walked two and struck out 11. Tessum recorded the final out to earn the save.

"Jacob threw very well. He was able to attack the zone and kept his walk numbers down," Gloden noted.

• vs. Harris-Lake Park

H-M-S was limited to three hits during a 5-1 loss to Harris-Lake Park, on June 21 in Hartley.

The Wolves' Caleb Hemphill hit a two-run homer during a three-run fourth inning, and hit a solo shot for one of their two runs in the seventh.

Ethan Diehm's run-scoring single in the fifth inning drove in the Hawks' only run. Trenton Vollink and Meendering had the other hits for H-M-S.

Tessum pitched the first 3-1/3 innings, during which he allowed two runs and two hits, walked five and struck out four. Eilers gave up three runs on two hits, walked two and struck out two.

• vs. MMCRU

H-M-S fell behind by six runs and could never recover in a 14-4 loss to MMCRU, on June 23 in Hartley.

The Royals took a 4-0 lead in the first inning and added two runs in the third. H-M-S cut the lead in half in the third. Tesch drove in two runs with a single and Van Beek followed with a run-scoring single.

MMCRU stretched the advantage to 8-3 in the fifth inning, scored two runs in the sixth and put four more on the scoreboard in the seventh. The Hawks' scored their final run in the fifth on an RBI single by Meendering.

Cates hit a double and walked twice, while Jack Mastbergen, Meendering, Tesch and Van Beek each had one hit.

Tesch pitched 6-2/3 innings, allowing 10 runs and nine hits, walked two and struck out four. Aiden Bush and Vollink each recorded an out in relief, combining to give up four runs. Only six of the Royals' runs were earned.

H-M-S (3-14, 0-8) enters district play on Saturday, July 1 at Marcus. Pairings can be found elsewhere in the Sentinel-News.