Lady Hawks close in on SEISC title

MEDIAPOLIS — Kenna Sandoval was asked to grade the work of Central Lee’s acting head coach on Monday night.
“He did well,” she said with a laugh. “He did well.”
There was a new voice in the third-base coaching box for the game against Mediapolis — Kenna’s father, Manny, who is one of the Hawks’ assistant coaches, was running the team while head coach Jason Hawk sat out after undergoing a medical procedure earlier in the day. Central Lee, though, didn’t miss a beat in the 11-3 win over the Bullettes.
Central Lee, ranked 14th in Class 3A, closed in on clinching the Southeast Iowa Super Conference South Division title. The Hawks (17-3 overall, 9-0 division) have a three-game lead on the loss side over Mediapolis and West Burlington-Notre Dame with three division games left.
“Good win,” Manny Sandoval said. “A good team win.”
Hawk, who sat in a chair by the press box to watch the game, agreed.
“We got off to a good start, and then once we settled in, I thought we played pretty well.” Hawk said.
Central Lee scored four runs in the top of the first inning, then after Mediapolis got to within 4-3 put together a five-run fourth inning and a two-run fifth.
It was the perfect start to the week for the Hawks, who play eight games in six days.
“This was a big win,” said Kenna Sandoval, who had three hits and drove in four runs. “We knew we were going to have a long week. This whole week, we play every day. So we knew that starting out, we had to start off strong in this game and get the (win).”
Central Lee plays host to West Burlington-Notre Dame on Tuesday, plays Washington at Iowa’s Pearl Field on Wednesday, plays at New London on Thursday then plays four games combined on Friday and Saturday at the Rick Doran Classic in Iowa City.
The first five Hawks reached base against Mediapolis starter Payton Harris. Jaci Hawk singled, stole second, and scored on Carlee Pezley’s single. Pezley scored on Sandoval’s double, then Sandoval scored on Jalyn Hawk’s single. Aubree Bunnell’s double scored Olivia Day with the fourth run of the inning.
“Getting those four runs gave us a little leeway early,” Kenna Sandoval said.
Mediapolis scored one run in the first and two in the second, and had runners on first and second with two outs in the third inning before Central Lee relief pitcher Hayden Rule struck out Greenley Cummings to end the inning.
Central Lee then batted around in the fourth inning. Rule led off with a double, and courtesy runner Brylee Cook scored on Kamryn Cox’s single. Pezley’s single scored Cox, then Sandoval doubled to drive in Pezley. Marie Young’s double brought in Sandoval, then Bunnell closed the scoring in the inning with a two-out single that drove in courtesy runner Nora Kelley.
Sandoval’s two-run double in the fifth provided the final margin.
Central Lee had 13 hits.
“The whole lineup did their part tonight,” Kenna Sandoval said. “I feel like everyone put the bat on the ball and did what they needed to do to get us this win.”