Taming the Tigers

Trinity Christian took a quick lead, but Hartley-Melvin-Sanborn scored multiple runs in four of the first five innings to earn a 9-6 win. The Hawks' first victory in War Eagle Conference play came on June 26 in Hartley.

The Tigers led 4-0 after the first inning and scored another run in the second. H-M-S answered with two runs in the first inning and three in the second to tie the score, and scored twice in the third to take the lead for good.

The Hawks extended their advantage to four runs in the fifth inning. The Tigers loaded the bases in the sixth but failed to score, and an unassisted double play by Grant Kunzman in the seventh helped limit Trinity Christian to one run.

H-M-S finished with 13 hits. Jacob Cates was 3-for-4 with a double and three runs batted in; Jack Mastbergen was 3-for-4 with two doubles and two RBI; and Lawton Schiphoff was 2-for-4 with a double and two RBI. Also having hits were Aiden Bush, Caden Douma, Blake Meendering, Brody Meendering and Kunzman (RBI).

Douma earned his first varsity victory, pitching 4-2/3 innings. He allowed five runs (two earned) on two hits, walked three and struck out four.

Hunter Daggett gave up one run, three hits and three walks, and Dominic Tripp retired the only batter he faced to end the game.

• Wolverines complete sweep

South O'Brien completed the season sweep of H-M-S with an 8-5 win on June 24 in Hartley.

Trailing 2-0 in the first inning, H-M-S tied the score on a single by Kunzman and an error. The Wolverines retook the lead with three runs in the second and added two runs in the third.

The Hawks chipped away at the deficit, scoring in the fourth inning on an error and in the sixth on a sacrifice fly by Mastbergen.

South O'Brien answered with a run in the top of the seventh. H-M-S loaded the bases in the bottom of the seventh and scored a run on an error, but could get no closer.

Kunzman and Brody Meendering were both 3-for-3 with an RBI; Schiphoff had two hits and an RBI; and Bush, Cates, Blake Meendering and Ricky Smith each had one hit.

Bush was the starting pitcher and allowed one hit, two runs and three walks. Mastbergen gave up five hits and five runs, walked three and struck out four, and Cates allowed four hits and a run while striking out 12 in five relief innings.

• Jays fly past H-M-S

Gehlen Catholic turned a close game into a comfortable win with one big inning to defeat H-M-S, 12-2, on June 28 in Hartley.

The Jays scored twice in the opening inning and H-M-S scored a run to cut the lead in half. Gehlen Catholic scored single runs in the third and fourth innings.

The Hawks pulled to within 4-2 in the fourth when Cates doubled and scored on a single by Blake Meendering. Gehlen Catholic scored eight runs in the fifth inning on six hits.

Cates and Meendering had the only hits for H-M-S.

Kunzman pitched 4-2/3 innings, allowing 10 runs on 10 hits. Tripp gave up four hits and two runs in relief.

H-M-S fell to 3-16 overall and 1-8 in conference play.