South Hamilton’s Tanner Blue smiles as he watches his three-run home run fly against Greene County on Wednesday in Jewell. DFJ photo/Angela Hewitt

JEWELL — Even though the South Hamilton baseball team currently lags behind Heart of Iowa Conference leader West Marshall by two games, its goals haven’t changed.

“Our goal is to win the conference and with three losses we pretty much know we have to win out,” Hawks’ head coach Kyle Galetich said. “So that’s what we plan on trying to do.”

So far, so good.

Sitting right in the middle of the eight-team conference, South Hamilton (8-3, 4-3 HOIC) kicked off its late start to the week on Wednesday with a 6-2 victory over Greene County at the Mike Penning Athletic Complex. The Hawks used a pair of home runs and a five-run fourth inning to dispatch the Rams (2-10, 1-7 HOIC) for the second time this season.

“Everybody, up and down the lineup, put together good at bats,” Galetich said of his club’s nine-hit effort. “This was a conference game, an important game, and we played well.”

Carter Hewitt’s sixth round-tripper of the season, a solo shot, gave South Hamilton a 1-0 lead in the second inning. Hewitt currently sits tied for second in Class 2A in its version of Home Run Derby.

Greene County jumped in front 2-1 in the third courtesy of a Bryce Stalder RBI double and Kole Teeples RBI single, but the Hawks regained control in the fourth.

A Freddie Lewis bunt single loaded the bases and Lane Swenson delivered with a two-RBI single to give the Hawks a 3-2 lead. Two batters later, No. 9 stick Tanner Blue blasted the first home run of his prep career, a three-run dinger that gave the Hawks a four-run cushion.

Hewitt (3 for 3) and Blue (2 for 3) accounted for five of the Hawks’ hits. Hewitt also found the gap for a double.

“(Blue) has been really good and everybody at the bottom of the order has been good all season,” Galetich said. “They’ve come through all year.”

Brock Galetich and Tycin Barkema added singles in the win.

Barkema went the distance on the mound to secure the win. The junior right-hander limited Greene County to five hits. He struck out nine and walked just two.

South Hamilton was back at home last night for a non-conference game against Colo-NESCO. The Hawks will head to Grundy Center on Saturday for an afternoon doubleheader against the Spartans.

SH 6, Greene County 2

Wednesday at Jewell

GC 002 000 0 — 2 5 0

SH 010 500 x — 6 9 0

Bryce Stalder and Cameren Miller. Tycin Barkema and Elijah Balderas. W — Barkema. L — Stalder. Multiple hits — SH: Carter Hewitt (3), Tanner Blue. 2B — GC: Stalder; SH: Hewitt. HR — SH: Hewitt, Blue. RBI — GC: Stalder, Kole Teeples; SH: Blue (3), Lane Swenson (2), Hewitt.