Long known as one of the area’s top center fielders, and arguably in the state, the Hawks’ lead-off hitter has added to her arsenal during her senior season.

Hit for average? She leads the team at .439, so check.

Hit for power? She’s one of only two Hawks to belt a home run and her six triples are tops on the team, as is her .712 slugging percentage, so check again.

Flash some speed on the bases? She has a team-high 12 steals and hasn’t been thrown out yet, so, yep, add a third check.

South Hamilton center fielder Alissa Moss fires the ball back to the infield during Tuesday’s 14-4, six-inning romp over Colo-NESCO in Jewell. DFJ photo/Troy Banning

Moss was on point Tuesday night, as she went 4 for 4 with two triples, three runs scored and two RBI to help power South Hamilton to a 14-4, six-inning blowout of Colo-NESCO at the Mike Penning Athletic Complex.

A .280 hitter a season ago, Moss’ transformation into an offensive weapon hasn’t gone unnoticed.

“She’s been the catalyst to what we’ve been able to do this year,” South Hamilton head coach Rusty Wintermote said. “The last six or seven ballgames last year she started to come around, but this year you can just sense a confidence in her. She feels like she’s going to put the ball in play every time. She knows she’s going to have her ups and downs, but it’s been a lot more ups.”

Yes, it certainly has.

Moss was just one piece of an offensive juggernaut that sent Colo-NESCO (10-13) to a seventh consecutive loss. Hawks’ clean-up stick Taylor Volkmann was perfect in three plate appearances that included a double, two runs scored and three RBI. Ady Wintermote bashed the ball to left on three straight trips to the plate and only a highlight-reel catch by Royals’ outfielder McKenzie Niemeyer in the second inning stopped her from being 3 for 3 as well. She also drove in one run.

South Hamilton senior shortstop Ady Wintermote makes the throw across the diamond to get the out at first during a 14-4, six-inning victory over Colo-NESCO in Jewell on Tuesday. DFJ photo/Troy Banning

“I like where we’re at. We’re doing well,” Ady Wintermote said after South Hamilton (13-7) collected 13 hits, four of which went for extra bases. “A lot of us like to say hitting is contagious and it helps when everybody is on a roll.”

Chloe Barkema found the gap for a double and finished with two RBI. Breanne Diersen, Emilee Wiese and Taylor Ratzke all supplied a single and RBI.

South Hamilton took control in the opening inning with three runs — two came on Volkmann’s double down the right field line — and never relented. Two more runs went up in the third, followed by four in the fourth, two in the fifth and three in the sixth.

Moss cranked back-to-back triples to right-center in the fourth and fifth innings, and both translated into runs. The revolving door of girls crossing the plate enabled Rusty Wintermote to clear his bench by the time the fifth inning rolled around.

Despite the seemingly dominant performance, South Hamilton’s head coach still wanted to see more. Short lulls defensively didn’t sit well with him.

Hawks’ catcher Breanne Diersen prepares for a collision with Colo-NESCO’s Rylie Reischaur at the plate. DFJ photo/Troy Banning

“Our mojo went down,” he said. “Even though we were getting girls on base, we weren’t the aggressive team. We were just kind of there.”

Colo-NESCO rattled off eight hits against Hawks’ right-handed hurler Katie Johnson, including a fourth-inning solo home run down the right-field line by Gracie Kettwig. She finished 2 for 3 with two RBI.

Rylee Purvis and Kassie Robinson had two hits each as well for the Royals.

But with South Hamilton’s offense clicking, Johnson never found herself in serious trouble. Seven of the first nine recorded outs came on strikeouts and she finished with nine.

The contest ended with two outs in the bottom of the sixth inning when — who else? — Moss lashed a RBI single up the middle that plated Wiese.

Regional pairings released

South Hamilton learned its postseason fate earlier on Wednesday and the players know it won’t be easy.

The Hawks will open up Class 2A Region 3 play with a quarterfinal at home against West Fork on Wednesday, July 5. A win would likely set up a semifinal showdown against 15th-ranked BCLUW, a team South Hamilton beat, 2-1, earlier this season.

Fifth-ranked CMB resides on the top half of the Region 3 bracket.

“We’re excited,” Ady Wintermote said of the team’s postseason trek. “We’re going to see some good competition, but we’re not nervous.”

South Hamilton 14, Colo-NESCO 4 (6 innings)

Tuesday at Jewell

Colo-NESCO 001 102 — 4 8 6

S. Hamilton 302 423 — 14 13 1

Mackenna Ruffcorn and Chelsea Henze. Katie Johnson and Breanne Diersen. W — Johnson. L — Ruffcorn. 2B — C-N: Claire Skinner; SH: Taylor Volkmann, Chloe Barkema. 3B — SH: Alissa Moss (2). HR — C-N: Gracie Kettwig. RB — C-N: Kettwig (2), Rylee Purvis, Kassie Robinson; SH: Volkmann (3), Moss (2), Barkema (2), Diersen, Ady Wintermote, Marla Grubb, Emilee Wiese, Taylor Ratzke.