Hawks on Both Ends of Blow-Outs

Hawks on Both Ends of Blow-Outs

Last Wednesday ended a six-game winning streak for the Eden Valley Hawks as they lost to the Sartell Muskies by a score of 14-5. In the game, the Muskies scored ten runs in the second inning alone off of pitcher Matthew Pennertz to lift them to the victory. Those fans who stuck around saw Dan Berg hit his third homerun of the season as he did his best to try to bring the Hawks back. Dan Hansen and Darren Berg also added doubles, but the lead was just too much to overcome.

On Sunday, the Hawks hosted the Pearl Lake Lakers. Earlier in the season, the Hawks lost to the Lakers by a score of 9-8 in their first league game of the year. Since that game, the Hawks have compiled a 5-1 record in the Central Valley League, while the Lakers have won just one game in the league. The Hawks were definitely ready for the rematch, as they scored thirteen runs on fifteen base hits to get the victory, 13-2.

Neither team was able to score in the first inning, but as soon as the second inning came around, the Hawks would score at least one run in every inning they batted. The first run came in the second after Jeff Haag doubled, moved to third on a passed ball, and scored on a suicide squeeze by Stephen Pennertz. In the third inning, the Hawks added two runs when Dan Berg singled and Joe Thiel hit his first homerun of the year to score Berg. In the fourth, an error allowed Stephen Pennertz to reach base, and, one out later, he advanced to third on Darren Berg’s double. Dan Berg, the next batter, followed with another double, scoring both runners and bringing the score to 5-0.

The fifth inning saw the Lakers get their first run of the game. After pitcher Matthew Pennertz hit the leadoff hitter with a curve that got away, the runner stole second and, two outs later, scored on Pearl Lakes second hit of the game. But the Hawks would respond with one of their own as Joe Thiel led off the inning with a double to the left-center gap and scored on Jeff Haag’s sac fly to center. The sixth inning brought in Pearl Lake’s second run, this time on a solo homerun, but that was all the scoring the Lakers would get as they were held to only two more hits, both coming off of reliever Al Faber with two outs in the ninth inning. The Hawks weren’t done, though, as the outscored the Lakers in that same sixth inning when Joe Thiel hit his second homerun of the game, a three-run blast to left field.

When the seventh inning started, the Hawks were sitting on a comfortable 9-2 lead, but they weren’t done with the hit parade. Dan Berg scored in the seventh after his second double of the game put him on second and, two passed balls later, he was in to score. The eighth inning brought Joe Thiel’s fourth extra-base hit of the game, this time another double, and after consecutive singles by Chuck Geislinger, Jeff Haag, and Junior Geislinger, the Hawks had a run in and the bases loaded. That didn’t leave room for the two walks that followed, to the Berg brothers, so two more runs scored and the Hawks came away from the game with a 13-2 victory, a 6-2 record in the CVL, and a tie for the top spot in the CVL South.

For this week (June 9-15), the Hawks will have two Central Valley League games. The first is Wednesday as the Hawks host the top team from the North Division, the St. Augusta Gussies, at 7:30. Next Sunday, the Hawks make the short trek up the road to visit the other top team in the South Division, the rival Watkins Clippers.

Box Score vs. Sartell

Box Score vs. Pearl Lake