The Hiawatha Hawks are taking a road trip to face off against the South Beloit Sobos at 4:30 p.m. on Thursday. Hiawatha is strutting in with some hitting muscle as they've averaged 6.3 runs per game this season.
Hiawatha will bounce into Thursday's game after beating Indian Creek, who they had gone 0-9 against in their nine prior meetings. The Hawks came out on top against the Timberwolves by a score of 12-7 on Tuesday.
Bentley Payne
| 05/13/25 @ Indian Creek | 3 |
| 04/25/25 vs Christian Liberty | 3 |
| 04/12/25 @ Alden-Hebron | 3 |
| 04/09/25 vs Orangeville | 3 |
| 05/09/25 @ Durand/Pecatonica | 2 |
| + 8 more games |
Bentley Payne was excellent, going 3-for-5 with two runs, one stolen base, and one RBI. He has become a key player for Hiawatha: the team is undefeated when he posts at least three hits, but 4-13 otherwise. Another player making a difference was Thomas Giebel, who went 2-for-4 with three runs and one double.
They weren't the only ones making solid contact: Hiawatha kept the outfield on their toes and finished the game with 12 hits. They are a perfect 4-0 when they post 11 or more hits.
Meanwhile, South Beloit came tearing into Tuesday's contest with three straight wins (a stretch where they outscored their opponents by an average of 5 runs), and they left with even more momentum. They put the hurt on the Marcos with a sharp 12-5 victory. The Sobos might be getting used to big wins seeing as the team has won ten matches by seven runs or more this season.
Cesar Alfaro was a major factor while hitting and pitching. On the mound, he tossed two innings while giving up no earned runs off one hit. Alfaro was also solid in the batter's box, going 1-for-5 with one home run and two RBI.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Zane Hagstrom, who got on base in all five of his plate appearances with one home run, three runs, and two doubles. The dominant performance also gave him a new career-high in hits (three). Jonah Martinez was another key player, getting on base in all five of his plate appearances with two runs, two RBI, and one double.
Hiawatha's record is now 8-13. As for South Beloit, their record now sits at 16-7.
Hiawatha beat South Beloit 12-7 in their previous meeting back in May of 2024. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Hawks since the squad won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
