By Bruce Karnick [email protected] Amateur baseball is a tricky animal to tame in the early weeks of the season. College kids are still playing at school, and high school seniors are still playing for the school or Legion teams. Having the college seasons end, while bittersweet for the college kids, is often a boost for the amateur teams. This was the case for the Hastings Hawks as the Wanamingo Jacks came to town on Saturday afternoon.

Nick Horsch started on the mound for Hastings, and he pitched well. Out of 88 pitches, he threw 65 strikes allowing eight hits, striking out two. Horsch allowed two earned runs, both of those coming in the first inning. Andrew Kemper finished on the mound for the Hawks. Kemper struck out seven on 55 pitches. Both Hastings pitchers combined for nine strikeouts with no walks Offensively, in the bottom of the first, Hastings was down 2-0 but rallied right back to take the lead for good. Cory Wolters laid down a great first pitch bunt and with his speed beat the throw to first. Jason Greeder hit a grounder up the middle advancing Wolters to second. A wild pitch moved both runners up a base. Wolters scored on a ground out to second by Jordan Jeske, Greeder advanced to third and scored on nearly the same exact ground out by Ben Bundschu. Cole Benson hit a ground ball to third that was sailed by the third baseman allowing Benson to reach second. Adam Medlicott was walked and both runners were advanced by dropped third strike wild pitch that also allowed Blake Warner to reach first that was logged as a strike out. Another wild pitch scored Benson from third giving the Hawks a 3-2 lead after one.

The offense continued to perform. In the third, Jeske was walked, advanced to second on a wild pitch and third on a passed ball before being sent home on a single to right by Warner. In the fourth, Wolters crushed a fly ball to the right field gap and was almost instantly on third with a triple. Wolters scored on a ground out by Greeder. In the fifth, both Bundchu and Benson scored on a line drive to the gap by Warner. The Hawks had a 7-2 lead by the end of the fifth and that is how the game ended.

Warner finished the day with a .750 batting average and three RBIs. Wolters went 2 for 5, scoring twice , Benson scored twice and finished the day 1 for 3 with a walk.

The Hawks are now 1-3 on the young season with the Dundas Dukes coming to town Friday, May 21, for a 7:30 game. Then they travel to Miesville to play the Mudhens for a 2:00 Sunday matinee two days later.

Hastings veteran, Nick Horsch threw six clean inning for the Hawks in the victory against regional rival Wanamingo on Saturday at Veterans Park. Horsch struck out two, allowed two runs with no walks on 88 pitches. Photo by McKenna Karnick