The Hawks have had a tough stretch of away games after starting the season 6-3, a seven-game losing streak dropped them to 6-10 and with the last four straight losses by just one run, brought about frustrations. The Classic Cannon Valley League and Section 1A are full of great baseball teams. St. Patrick and Elko are the newer opponents for Hastings while Dundas, and Rochester are familiar faces with a known state contender pedigree.
During the seven-game slide, Hastings lost to Baseball 365 11-6, a top three team in Class A. They lost at Dundas 9-4 but kept the game close until the final third of the game. Then a 3-2 loss at Rochester, a recent state champion, then a 4-3 loss to Burnsville, a top five team in class A and finally a 3-2 11 inning loss to St. Patrick. These close losses while frustrating show just how close the Hawks are to getting over that hump.
The Dukes came to town on Friday, June 27 and they wasted little time taking the lead putting up a run in the third, fifth and sixth inning to go up 3-0. Hastings had several opportunities to push a run or two across early in the game but could not put together a complete inning until the bottom of the sixth.
Cooper Desutter walked with one out and Max Kaplan followed suit giving the Hawks two on with one out. Former Raider Cade Kimmes executed a beautiful bunt to load the bases for Max Krebs. Krebs hit a soft grounder to nearly the same spot that Kimmes dropped his bunt and the Dukes mishandled the ball allowing a run to score and Kimmes to reach on an error.
Jack Seleski tried to copy the last two at bats, hitting the ball to the left side of the infield again, reaching on a fielder’s choice which got Krebs out at second. With Kimmes at third and Seleski at first, an error on the shortstop allowed Kimmes to score and Seleski to move to second. Kellin Rasmussen crushed a double to left, but a great defensive play by Dundas caught Seleski at home for the third out, tying the game 3-3.
Dundas scored another run in the top of the seventh to go up 4-3, but Hastings was not done yet. The Hawks put up two in the bottom of the eighth to take the 5-4 lead. Krebs dropped a bunt for the first baserunner, then Seleski was hit by pitch to give the Hawks two base runners. Rasmussen flew out for the first out of the inning and Nick Brandt was the second batter to be hit by pitch in the inning to keep things moving. A series of errors and wild pitches gave the Hawks the go-ahead run and they held on to win 5-4
Ben Teigland pitched a solid seven innings where he faced 30 batters, striking out four with no walks. Of the four runs Dundas scored off Teigland, two were earned. Reece Cox faced nine batters in relief and the win, striking out six while walking two.
The Sunday matinee game on June 29 featured the St. Patrick Irish, a perennial powerhouse with guys that can hit up and down the lineup. This years version of the Irish feature at least six players from Mankato State in their lineup.
St. Patrick took a 2-0 lead in the third inning due to a two run home run over the left field fence. Hastings cut that lead in half in the bottom half of the third. Johnny Teigland hit a double to left center and was later knocked home by Krebs.
Hastings tied the game up at two in the fifth inning when Krebs walked and was eventually knocked in by Seleski. The tie was erased in the top of the seventh inning when the Irish hit another home run, a towering three run blast to take the lead 5-2. Hastings fought back scoring two more, but they could not stop the bats of the Irish. The game finished 9-5 in favor of St. Patrick.
Hastings had great at bats logging 13 hits. There was a couple innings where they loaded the bases but simply could not push any runs across, stranding 12 base runners.
Jordan Jeske logged the start going six innings where he faced 27 batters striking out four and walking two. Jeske allowed two earned runs in the outing. Gavin Odman ended up as the pitcher of record allowing five earned runs in the 12 batters he faced. Odman struck one out and walked one in his two innings pitched. Dennis Reinhart took over for the final inning striking out one and walking two.
The Fourth of July week does slow down a little for the Hawks, but the two games they play will have a huge impact on the seeding for the playoffs. First, they travel to the newly renovated John Burch Park in Cannon Falls for a 2:00 p.m. game on Independence Day. Then, the Miesville Mudhens come to town for a 2:00 p.m. game on Sunday, July 6 at Veterans Park followed by the Red Wing Aces on July 9 at Vets Park for a 7:30 p.m. first pitch.