South Hamilton’s Zoey Duns trots around the bases following her home run against Prairie City-Monroe on Friday in Jewell. DFJ photo/Angela Hewitt

JEWELL — South Hamilton head softball coach Josh Gorman believes his team is close to reaching its potential. But one play here, one play there seems to be stymying the Hawks at the moment.

Three errors and three-runs allowed in the seventh inning spelled disaster for South Hamilton Friday at the Mike Penning Athletic Complex, as Prairie City-Monroe rallied in the final frame to secure an 8-6 Heart of Iowa Conference win.

“Our record right now isn’t a reflection of the talent or abilities this team has,” Gorman said. “We’re just one hit or one error away … from being one game out of first in a really good Heart of Iowa Conference. We just have to become a bit stronger with shutting opponents down when things aren’t going our way defensively.”

PCM (8-8, 5-1 HOIC) rattled off 15 hits against Hawk hurlers Anna Lammers and Makena Galetich, but the two unearned runs that came off the errors were the difference.

South Hamilton (5-8, 2-4 HOIC) did plenty of damage offensively with 12 hits, four of which went for extra bases.

Zoey Duns bashed her second home run of the season, a two-run shot, and joined Lammers with a 3 for 4 performance at the plate against Mustangs’ pitcher Paige Steenhoek. Lammers roped a double, and she matched Duns with two RBIs.

Kate Barkema finished 2 for 3 with a double, triple and RBI. Galetich and Tanna Thompson both added a pair of singles. Kaylee Oskvig drove in a run.

Hawks 1-1 at Van Meter

South Hamilton took part in the Van Meter tournament on Saturday and split its two-game set. The Hawks dropped a 5-0 decision to Fort Dodge St. Edmond, but ended the day with an offensive outburst in a 14-2, 4-inning rout of Treynor.

“We saw just how great this team can be on Saturday,” Gorman said. “Now we have to build off this momentum through this next week.”

The Hawks lashed 10 hits in the fourth inning alone against Treynor and finished the contest with 13 in all. Mackenzy Grady went 3 for 3 with a pair of doubles and four RBIs in the rule-rule-shortened victory. Lammers belted three singles and plated two runs. Barkema found the gap for an RBI triple, while Brenna Barquist added a single and two RBIs.

Galetich struck out four in the circle to pick up the win.

South Hamilton was limited to just three hits — doubles by Grady and Duns, and a single by Lammers — in the loss to St. Edmond.

Lammers suffered the loss in the circle. Three of St. Edmond’s runs were earned; she fanned two.

South Hamilton will be at home this evening to take on Colo-NESCO at 7:30 p.m.

PCM 8, SH 6

Friday at Jewell

PCM 400 001 3 — 8 15 0

SH 010 023 0 — 6 12 3

Paige Steenhoek and Addison Steenhoek. Anna Lamers, Makena Galetich (7) and Mackenzy Grady. W — P. Steenhoek. L — Lammers. Multiple hits — PCM: RaeAnn Duinink (4), P. Steenhoek, Sidney Shaver, Belle Hadnut, Riley DeVore; SH: Lammers (3), Zoey Duns (3), Galetich, Tanna Thompson, Kate Barkema. 2B — PCM: Duinink (2), Hudnut, P. Steenhoek, Riley Johannes; SH: Barkema, Lammers. 3B — SH: Barkema. HR — Duns. RBI — PCM: Duinink (4), P. Steenhoek (2), Shaver, DeVore; SH: Lammers (2), Duns (2), Barkema, Kaylee Oskvig.