For the second straight game, the Hawks gave up a crooked number in the first inning Wednesday night at the Mike Penning Athletic Complex and it resulted in a second consecutive loss.

After giving up five runs in the opening frame to Roland-Story last week, South Hamilton (2-2, 2-2 HOIC) was touched for three in the first inning against Saydel on Wednesday. The Eagles (5-5, 3-2 HOIC) never trailed in a 9-2 win over the Hawks.

“I really don’t know what the reason is,” Galetich said. “Those two teams have kind of jumped on us early hitting wise and it’s not like we’ve been kicking the ball around.”

Saydel opened up a 4-0 lead after 21⁄2 innings and pushed it to 6-1 after its half of the fifth. The Eagles rattled off 15 hits against South Hamilton pitchers Elijah Balderas and Brock Galetich, 11 of them coming from the bottom half of the order.

South Hamilton third baseman Cade Flaugh watches the ball dribble foul against Saydel on Wednesday in Jewell. He had a hit and RBI in the Hawks’ 9-2 loss. DFJ photo/Angela Hewitt

“They hit the ball better than I expected,” Kyle Galetich said. “It just felt like we were facing an uphill battle all night.”

Mason Hicks led Saydel with three hits, one of them a double. Skyler Cardenas also roped three hits, and two others — Nathan Jaeger and Logan Carney — had two.

Brock Galetich went 2 for 3 at the dish, while Tycin Barkema and Lane Swenson were both 2 for 4 for South Hamilton. Swenson found the gap for a triple.

Cade Flaugh went 1 for 4 with an RBI. Brandyn Feighner added a single and Quinton Grove drove in a run.

South Hamilton will face another stern test this evening when it makes the short trek to Gilbert to take on the Tigers.

Saydel 9, South Hamilton 2

Wednesday at Jewell

Saydel 301 023 0 — 9 15 0

S. Ham. 001 010 0 — 2 8 1

Austin Pyles, Nathan Jaeger (7) and Skyler Cardenas. Elijah Balderas, Brock Galetich (6), Quinton Grove (7) and Brandyn Feighner, Balderas (6). WP — Pyles. LP — Balderas. Multiple hits — SAY: Cardenas (3), Mason Hicks (3), Jaeger, Logan Carney; SH: Galetich, Tycin Barkema, Lane Swenson. 2B — SAY: Hicks, Jaeger, Dakota Ellsworth. 3B — SH: Swenson. RBI — SAY: Jaeger (2), Ellsworth (2), Carney (2), Hicks, Carney, Cal Gebhart; SH: Cade Flaugh, Quinton Grove.