Hoyle hits 2 HRs, Nicholson 1; Hawks split softball DH with Gilbert
GILBERT - If softball were only a home run contest.
South Hamilton cranked three more dingers here last night in a Heart of Iowa Conference doubleheader against Gilbert. The two teams split the night; Gilbert (15-9, 8-4 HOIC) took Game 1, 5-4, before the Hawks rallied to secure the nightcap, 9-5.
Brittany Nicholson finished a triple short of the cycle in the opener. She crushed her third home run of the season - a solo shot - in the sixth inning. Molly Minich joined Nicholson with a double, and Elisabeth Elsner and Kayla Lucas delivered singles. Lucas collected one RBI.
South Hamilton (7-17, 2-11 HOIC) scored one run in the fourth, fifth, sixth and seventh innings.
Shannon Hoyle belted a pair of taters in Game 2 - two-run shots in the fourth and sixth innings - to propel the Hawks to victory. The senior catcher now has eight long balls this summer.
Fact Box
Softball
Game 1
Gilbert020 300 0-5 7 1
South Hamilton000 111 1-4 6 4
Haley Eagan, Clare Isenhart (6) and Kenzie Hosch. Brittany Nicholson and Shannon Hoyle. W-Eagan. L-Nicholson. S-Isenhart. 2B-SH: Nicholson, Molly Minich. HR-SH: Nicholson. RBI-SH: Nicholson, Kayla Lucas.
Game 2
South Hamilton210 203 1-9 11 3
Gilbert001 020 2-5 4 2
Brittany Nicholson and Shannon Hoyle. Hope Brown, Kate Shannon (6), Serine Isenhart (6) and Kenzie Hosch. W-Nicholson. L-Brown. 2B-SH: Nicholson, Ella Jans. 3B-SH: Nicholson. HR-SH: Hoyle (2). RBI-SH: Hoyle (4), Nicholson, Jans, Elisabeth Elsner (2).
Baseball
South Hamilton005 001 20-8 9 2
Gilbert500 003 01-9 10 1
Lane Heinlein, Cole Swenson (7) and Lucas Olson. Lane Peterson, Parker Christian (3), Carlton Jones (4), Christian (6) and Jared Gescheidler. W-Christian. L-Swenson. RBI-SH: Chris Jacobson (2), John Hegland, Olson (2).
The Hawks finished with 11 hits; Nicholson got her triple in the second outing and also doubled. Ella Jans had an RBI double, and Elsner drove in two on a single.
Nicholson worked the circle in both outings.
SH baseball tripped up in 8
GILBERT - The South Hamilton baseball team walked in the winning run and fell to Gilbert, 9-8 in 8 innings, last night.
It was the Hawks (8-12, 4-9 HOIC) sixth straight loss.
South Hamilton had nine hits, led by Chris Jacobson who was 3-for-5 with two RBIs on a third-inning single. John Hegland also plated a run in the team's five-run third and went 2-for-4. Lucas Olson was 2-for-4 with a two-RBI base knock in the seventh, and Trevor Ullestad and Jordan Sogard both added a single.