Hawks Win Double-Header To Close Out The Regular Season

Wes Vork-NSO

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May 20

Wes Vork-NSO

HERMANTOWN – It has been said time and time again that you want to be playing your best ball when the regular season ends and the playoffs begin. Using this as a measuring stick, the young Hermantown Hawks softball team should be right where they want to be to defend their Section 7AA title. On Friday, the Hawks beat Grand Rapids and Greenway by scores of 8-1 and 11-1 respectively.

The Hawks go into the playoffs winners of seven of their last eight games, losing only to a Cloquet squad, who are also frontrunners to challenge for a conference title, by a 5-4 score. Hermantown closes out the season with a record of 12-6 with half of those losses coming from Cities teams in one weekend at the Eastview Tournament.

While 12-6 may be a bit below the standards the Hawks have set in the past couple of years, it needs to be noted that Hermantown has but two seniors on the roster. They often start only one senior, first baseman Sara Stansfield after losing three first team all-state players from last year’s state runners-up team. The Hawks typically feature a team made up of one junior, four sophomores, two freshman and an eighth grader in the starting lineup.

In Friday’s home doubleheader, one of those underclassman, pitcher Katie Thun displayed her ability to help take over a game by striking out 14 while giving up only three hits against Grand Rapids. Thun followed up by striking out eight batters in a four hit five inning performance against Greenway. She also went 3-4 against Grand Rapids and 4-4 against Greenway while hitting a two run homer in each game.

Hawks Senior first baseman Sarah Stansfield has also been swinging a hot bat as of late. In her final regular season games at home Stansfield went 2 for 4 with a home run while scoring two runs and racking up three RBI’s against Grand Rapids. In the second game against Greenway Stansfield helped put things away early by hitting a first inning home run.

Sophomore Celine Francisco exemplifies the type of young offensive threat the Hawks possess. Against Grand Rapids she went 4-4 with a double and a triple, scored 3 runs and added two RBI’s.

Hermantown Head Coach Tom Bang likes where his team is at but believes the playoffs will be a bit different from in years past. “We’re young, but we have been coming around pretty good lately; but I think the playoffs will be way more up for grabs than in the past couple of years.” Adding, “The toughest competition in the state usually comes from right here in our section, in each of the last two years we had a loss in our section and had to come through the bottom bracket to win it.”

One team that won’t be in the mix this year is Duluth Central, who after combining with Duluth Denfeld moved up to 7AAA. On paper, Virginia appears off a bit with a 10-8 record but they are always competitive. However, the frontrunner to challenge for a conference title is clearly the Cloquet Lumberjacks. “They are probably the best defensive team in this area, as well as having kids that can swing it” Bang explained.

In contrast to the youthful Hawks, Cloquet sports a roster that includes five seniors and seven juniors. The Lumberjacks have compiled a record of 10-4 and had also won seven of their last eight before falling 3-0 on Friday to 7AAA power Duluth Central. All of which should make for some exciting playoff action starting Tuesday.

Wes Vork can be reached at wes@northlandsportsonline.com