Statement made? You better believe it.

Every batter in the lineup recorded at least one hit and five racked up multiple knocks, as the Hawks blasted 14th-ranked (Class 3A) and 2018 state runner-up Roland-Story, 16-5, Wednesday night.

South Hamilton roughed up Norsemen pitcher Madison Geise for 17 hits. Diersen went 3 for 5 with two extra-base hits and two RBIs. Krista Swenson matched her at 3 for 5 with three RBIs. Emma Lewis roped three singles and plated two runs at the bottom of the order. Lily Skartvedt put together a 2 for 4 performance that included a solo home run in the sixth inning, and Leah Jacoby added two more base hits.

“This is a team that has a slight swagger and it’s just getting more confident in every game,” South Hamilton head coach Harry McMaken said after the Heart of Iowa Conference rout. “I put the lineup together and then my job is just to stay out of the way.”

South Hamilton assistant coach Dennis Barkema pats Emma Lewis on the head following a base hit Wednesday night. Photo by Angela Hewitt

It was even more impressive considering South Hamilton (3-1, 2-0 HOIC) was without regular lead-off hitter and all-conference pitcher Taylor Volkmann, who McMaken said will be out for an undetermined period of time because of an injury. But there was more than enough firepower in her absence to hand Roland-Story (2-1, 0-1 HOIC) its first loss.

“Everything we hit was on the nose and hard,” he said. “Emma Lewis had a really nice game at the bottom of the order for us, and Breanne got us started off in that lead-off position.”

South Hamilton scored three runs in its initial two at bats, but found itself trailing 5-3 after four innings.

And then the Hawks took over.

South Hamilton ripped four hits and scored five runs in the fifth frame to take control for good. Skartvedt’s bomb pushed the advantage to 9-5 in the sixth. In the seventh, the Hawks sent 11 batters to the plate, roped seven hits and scored seven more runs.

Cortney Harris gets cracked in the face with her own helmet as she slides head-first safely into the dish against Roland-Story on Wednesday. Photo by Angela Hewitt

Jessi Harms, who belted a two-RBI double, picked up the victory in the pitcher’s circle. She allowed just six hits and struck out two, and McMaken says his players have confidence that Harms can do the job in Volkmann’s absence.

“The huge difference between this year and last year is that went Taylor was out (last season) the girls just kind of threw their hands up and thought the season’s over,” McMaken said. “This year there isn’t that drop-off. They have as much confidence in Jessi as they do in Taylor and (Harms) expects to throw a good game.”

South Hamilton 16, Roland-Story 5

Wednesday at Roland

S. Ham 210 051 7 — 16 17 4

Rol-Story 113 000 0 — 5 6 7

Jessi Harms and Hailey Diersen. Madison Geise and Macy Friest. WP — Harms. LP — Geise. Multiple hits — SH: Breanne Diersen (3), Krista Swenson (3), Emma Lewis (3), Lily Skartvedt, Leah Jacoby. 2B — SH: B. Diersen, Harms; R-S: Friest, Susie Weaver, Kayley Birkland. HR — SH: Skartvedt. RBI — SH: Swenson (3), B. Diersen (2), Harms (2), Lewis (2), Skartvedt, Jacoby, Cortney Harris; R-S: Birkland, Emily Berggren.