JEWELL - The rough beginning stretch of the season continued for the South Hamilton softball team on Friday at the Mike Penning Athletic Complex.
The Hawks dropped their seventh consecutive contest and remained winless after Heart of Iowa Conference opponent Jefferson-Scranton rattled off 18 hits in a 7-4 victory.
The Rams scored three runs in the first inning to jump ahead for good, and they added four insurance runs in the third off South Hamilton freshman pitcher MacKenzie Busch.
"We really can't control the hits, but MacKenzie is handling the pressure really well," South Hamilton head coach Tarin Bell said.
South Hamilton (0-7, 0-5 HOIC) got one run back in the bottom of the first on a solo home run by senior catcher Shannon Hoyle - already her third of the season.
But Rams' hurler Jennifer Kennedy settled in after that and surrendered just three more singles by Hoyle, Allyson Ervin and Kayla Lucas.
Fact Box
| Jefferson-Scranton | 304 000 0—7 18 1 |
| South Hamilton | 100 210 0—4 4 5 |
| Jennifer Kennedy and Marissa Promes. MacKenzie Busch and Shannon Hoyle. W—Kennedy. L—Busch. HR—SH: Hoyle. RBI—SH: Hoyle. |
South Hamilton will be at home again today to face Gilbert.