MONROE — Foes can quickly become friends when conference championships are at stake.

The South Hamilton softball team spent its Friday night blistering Prairie City-Monroe for 14 hits in an 8-4 Heart of Iowa Conference victory, and tonight the Hawks will become the Mustangs biggest fans when they close out their conference campaign at North Polk.

North Polk (17-9, 11-2 HOIC) currently leads the league by one game over South Hamilton (18-9, 11-3 HOIC). A PCM (8-15, 5-8 HOIC) upset of the Comets would give the Hawks a piece of the title.

Regardless of what happens tonight, South Hamilton head coach Harry McMaken is proud of what his team accomplished during the regular season.

“It’s like I told the girls after the game, I’ve been here for five years and that’s the fewest number of losses we’ve had in the conference since I’ve been here,” he said. “The girls were really upbeat afterwards.”

Eight different players lashed hits off PCM pitcher Paige Steenhoek. Lead-off hitter Breanne Diersen went 3 for 4 with an RBI, and right behind her Emma Lewis smacked a single, double and plated three runs. Taylor Volkmann, Hailey Diersen and Leah Jacoby all had two hits as well.

South Hamilton seized command with two runs in the second inning on a Lewis single, and Krista Swenson drove in two more with a base knock in the third to make it 4-1. The Hawks led 8-1 by the time the sixth inning rolled around.

Jessi Harms earned the win inside the pitcher’s circle. She limited the Mustangs to four hits. She walked six and struck out six.

South Hamilton will now have plenty of time to rest before it opens the postseason with a Class 2A regional game against Madrid on Wednesday, July 10.

Is all that time off good or bad?

“I’ll be able to answer that question a week from Wednesday,” McMaken said. “We’re going to try to be a little inventive to keep them engaged.”

South Hamilton 8, PCM 4

Friday at Monroe

S. Ham 022 130 0 — 8 14 1

PCM 100 003 0 — 4 4 2

Jessi Harms and Hailey Diersen. Paige Steenhoek and Anna Shaver. W — Harms. L — Steenhoek. Multiple hits — SH: Breanne Diersen (3), H. Diersen, Emma Lewis, Taylor Volkmann, Leah Jacoby; PCM: Steenhoek. 2B — SH: Lewis, Volkmann; PCM: Steenhoek. RBI — SH: Lewis (3), Krista Swenson (2), B. Diersen, Jacoby, Cortney Harris; PCM: Riley Johannes, Camryn Wignall.