Hawks flex muscle in late win over HTC

WEST POINT – Central Lee Head Coach Jason Hawk and Holy Trinity Catholic Head Coach Loren Menke played a little chess on Wednesday night at South Park in West Point.
Hawk was able to get checkmate when he re-entered starting pitcher Jalyn Hawk to hit for relief pitcher Hayden Rule in the top of the seventh.
Menke had just intentionally passed Kenna Sandoval and Marie Young, the Hawks’ nos. 2 and 3 hitters to load the bases with two outs. Jalyn Hawk was down in the count two strikes and checked her swing on the third pitch, which was called a ball.
With the Hawk dugout screaming and banging on the fence, Hawk drove a sharp grounder between third and short into left field scoring Sandoval and Brylie Cook for what would prove to be the winning run.
Jalyn Hawk said she wasn’t thinking about being called to re-enter after being pulled in the sixth inning for Rule.
“That was a little unexpected, but I knew my team had set me up in a good spot and I needed to pull through and try to contribute,” she said. “I just wanted to put that bat on the ball.”
Cook drew a walk from HTC’s Sydney Jarvis to start the top of the seventh. Cook would steal second before Central Lee’s Jaci Hawk grounded out to first moving Cook to third. After a popout to second gave HTC two outs, Menke opted to put Sandoval on. She took a pitch and then stole second, which prompted Menke to load the bases with two outs by intentionally passing Young.
“It was a matter of putting the bases full. Kenna is an unbelievable hitter, so you’re definitely not going to let her win it there,” Menke said.
“But then the other two are good hitters, too. Credit to (Hawk) two strikes, a big hit, and she checked up on the third, but we were that close to having a third strike and third out there.”
Jason Hawk said the Crusaders did exactly what he would’ve done.
“They did exactly what I would’ve done. You don’t let Kenna bat there and, if first base opens up, you don’t let Marie bat either. You put the pressure on the five hitter and they did exactly what I would’ve done,” he said.
Pulling Rule in favor of Hawk was a matter of differing roles, Jason Hawk said.
“I saw that Hayden was on deck and when they put Marie on I knew I had to get (Hawk) back in,” Jason Hawk said.

But he said Rule was ready to hit, it just wasn’t her job in this game. He said her job was to get the final three outs and he had all the confidence that she would get the job done.
“I’ve done that three times now. I’ve got a lot of confidence in her. I knew she was frustrated when I told her she wasn’t batting. She looked at me like ‘Are you kidding me’," he said. “She was ready to hit, but honestly, that’s not her job and I tell these girls they know their roles. Her role then was to give me the last three outs.”
Rule went the final two innings and didn’t allow a hit while striking out two and walking two to get the win.  Hawk went five innings and scattered six hits, allowing two runs, none earned, while walking two, and fanning two.
She said being called upon to come in to close a game out as an eighth grader is all about confidence.
"I feel really good that he has confidence in me," Rule said. "I’ve worked hard to be a five-year starter and to be on the varsity squad and I’m still working hard. I know my team will have my back and I can trust them to make plays."
The Crusaders had two on in the bottom of the seventh. Jarvis reached on an error with one out. Kara Lake would courtesy run and Emily Ross would pop out to the catcher for the second out. Cayden Holmes would draw a walk to put runners at first and second, Makayla Simpson then lined to shortstop Jaci Hawk who had the ball, but lost it falling to the ground. Simpson checked up running to third and Hawk was able to flip the ball to Sandoval at third for the force to end the game.
Menke said the loss will be tough for the Crusaders.
“We had our chances, that’s for sure," he said.
"I don’t know. It’s a tough loss. We want to be able to win games like this. They are the defending conference champs and you want to take down the conference champs, and we won’t get another chance to do it. It's definitely disappointing."
Ellie Hellman had two hits for the Crusaders. Morgan Krogmeier, Simpson, Kenna Gittings, and Alivia Holmes all had hits for HTC. Gittings and Kat DiPrima scored the runs for the Crusaders.
For Central Lee, Young and Jalyn Hawk each had two hits. Olivia Day, Jaci Hawk, Sandoval, and Cook all had one-hit nights in the win.
The Hawks improve to 11-2 on the year and are 5-0 in SEI Super Conference play. They host Van Buren County Thursday night.
Holy Trinity falls to 8-5 on the year and 3-2 in loop play. They travel to Danville Thursday night.