High intensity

Trinity Christian had a better record, but Hartley-Melvin-Sanborn played a better game when their softball teams met on June 26 in Hartley. H-M-S took an early lead and went on to earn the 8-2 win.

Frankie Mohni contributed three hits, including a two-run single in the second inning that put H-M-S on the scoreboard. Eliza Tewes' two-run single was the big hit in the fourth inning, when the Hawks increased the advantage to 6-0. Kinsey Schirmer drove in a run with a single and Gracie Knobloch added an RBI on a groundout.

Lindsey Van Es doubled in two runs in the sixth to put the game out of reach.

The Hawks had nine hits overall, including a double by Kamryn Ebel and singles by Natalie Daggett and Knobloch.

"The girls are coming around with the bats. The intensity was high through the whole game," Hawk coach Stephanie Bronstad said.

Knobloch pitched the complete game. She allowed three hits, including two in the Tigers' two-run sixth inning, walked six and struck out six.

"We did well on the mound but need to continue to minimize pitches," Bronstad noted. "These girls have great potential and need to bring it to every pitch, at bat, inning and game."

• Continue momentum against Warriors

Despite a weather interruption, H-M-S continued the positive energy the following night to defeat Alta-Aurelia, 11-8, at Alta.

H-M-S answered the Warriors' first-inning run with two runs in the second. One scored on a single by Mohni and the other scored on an error. The Hawks responded again when Alta-Aurelia scored in the fourth inning by retaking the lead in the fifth on a single by Tewes.

Seven runs in the sixth inning seemed to give H-M-S a comfortable lead. Delaney Murphy drove in two with a single, Knobloch drove in one with a groundout, and four runs scored on errors.

A weather delay late in the game seemed to hurt H-M-S and help Alta-Aurelia.

"The girls played a great game. The thunder delay didn't help our momentum as we were hitting the ball and then came out flat," Bronstad noted. "They got new life and started hitting Kamryn (Ebel), although she pitched a nice game."

The Warriors narrowed the deficit to 10-8 in the sixth inning. The Hawks scored an insurance run in the seventh on a single by Knobloch, and Schirmer retired the last three Alta-Aurelia batters to end the game.

H-M-S had 12 hits, including three by Tewes and two each by Ebel and Murphy.

Ebel was the winning pitcher. She allowed eight hits, walked five and struck out eight.