Corralling the Mustangs

A doubleheader sweep of George-Little Rock on July 1 capped the regular season for the Hartley-Melvin-Sanborn softball team. The Hawks' 4-2 and 10-3 wins at George improved their record to 7-11 overall and 4-6 in War Eagle Conference play.

"The girls played well," Hawk coach Stephanie Bronstad said. "We could have hit the ball better in both games but we came out with two wins, which is what counts."

• 1 hit is all it took

The Hawks had just one hit in the opener, but it proved to be the game-winner.

G-LR took the lead on a two-run double in the second inning. Consecutive walks loaded the bases in the third. Addy Sheeler then walked to drive in H-M-S's first run.

Two innings later, Kamryn Ebel and Sheeler were both hit by a pitch and advanced a base on a sacrifice by Gracie Knobloch. Eliza Tewes followed with a double that drove in in both runners, giving H-M-S a 3-2 lead.

Natalie Daggett walked to open the sixth inning and Lindsey Van Es, running for Daggett, scored on a groundout by Delaney Murphy to make the final score 4-2.

The Hawks drew eight bases on balls in the game, but also struck out 12 times.

Knobloch went the distance in the pitcher's circle. She recorded 15 strikeouts while allowing two hits and four walks.

• More offense in second game

H-M-S showed more power at the plate in the nightcap, collecting 12 hits in the 10-3 win which counted toward the teams' War Eagle Conference records.

Run-scoring singles by Murphy, Ebel and Sheeler, plus a wild pitch that allowed Murphy to score, gave H-M-S a 4-0 lead. The Hawks extended it to 7-0 with an RBI single by Abby Otto in the third inning and bases-loaded walks by Lindsey Van Es and Cammy Wilson in the fourth.

G-LR narrowed the gap with two runs in the fourth inning and another in the sixth, but H-M-S added some insurance in the seventh with a two-run single by Knobloch and a run-scoring double by Tewes.

Knobloch was 3-for-5 with a double, and Ebel, Otto and Schirmer each had two hits.

Ebel was the winning pitcher, giving up three hits and three runs, walking two and striking out three. Schirmer pitched a scoreless seventh inning.