JEWELL – No outs, one out, two outs – it doesn’t matter. Greene County’s explosive offense can erupt at any time.

South Hamilton sophomore pitcher Ady Wintermote knows that now.

Wintermote seemed to be in a groove in the first inning Monday night at the Mike Penning Athletic Complex, as she recorded the first two outs of the game with relative ease.

Cue that eruption.

Fourth-ranked (Class 3A) Greene County rattled off hits in succession, took advantage of an error and then celebrated a towering three-run home run off the bat of Hannah Onken. The Rams plated four funs in all in the frame and never trailed in an 8-3 Heart of Iowa Conference win over the Hawks.

“You know you’re not going to strike out a lot of batters when you play Greene County,” South Hamilton head coach Laura Read said. “They’re going to put the ball in play. But the thing about (our) team is we never give up. (The players) are always going to fight.”

South Hamilton (8-12, 4-7 HOIC) cut its deficit to 4-2 in the second, but the league-leading Rams (17-4, 11-0 HOIC) plated two runs in the fourth and two more in the fifth to put the contest out of reach.

Greene County laced 11 hits off Wintermote, who struck out two and walked one. Onken finished with a pair of hits and three RBI. Kayla Mobley drilled two doubles and drove in one run.

South Hamilton didn’t wilt against all-state pitcher Marissa Promes. The Hawks bashed three extra-base hits – doubles by Kayla Lucas, Ronnie Olson and Leandra Diersen – and seven total hits. Kayla Lucas was 3-for-4 at the top of the order; Carly Swenson and Kali Lucas added singles.

Diersen drove in a run.

“I was most pleased with the way we attacked the ball offensively,” Read said. “We seemed aggressive and confident and we picked good pitches to swing at.”

Promes finished with seven strikeouts.

South Hamilton will travel to Gilbert tonight to face the Tigers in another league showdown at 7:30 p.m.