Hamilton Hawkeyes (Hamilton, MI) fans exited the stadium thrilled Friday as they saw their softball squad nip the host St. Joseph Bears (St. Joseph, MI), 5-3 in a non-league challenge.

The Hawkeyes now sport a 11-2 record. They take the field next when they travel to Fruitport for a Ottawa-Kent - Black challenge on Tuesday, May 3. Hamilton will face a Trojans squad coming off a 8-7 non-league win over Ishpeming (Ishpeming, MI). The Trojans record now stands at 1-1.

With the loss, St. Joseph falls to 0-2 on the campaign. The Bears host Norrix (Kalamazoo, MI) to face the Knights in a Southwestern Michigan - East challenge on Thursday, May 5. The Knights enter the challenge with a record of 0-0.