GRATIOT – Once Black Hawk’s bats got heated up, there was no cooling them off.
    The Lady Warriors’ late-inning comeback bid fell a little short against Highland in the opening game of the 2012 Black Hawk Softball Tournament, but the hits kept coming and coming against Darlington in the finale on Saturday, May 12, at Gratiot Park.
    Highland (11-3 overall) took home the tournament title after nipping the Warriors, 4-3, and the Redbirds, 4-1, during the round-robin event.
    The Cardinals led 3-0 going into the seventh inning when the Warriors struck for three runs to deadlock the game. In the bottom of the inning, Highland rallied for the game-winning run on Becky Pink’s walk-off bases loaded single.
    Pink also scored two of the Cardinals’ four runs in the game.
    In game two, the Cardinals opened up a 2-1 lead on Darlington after one inning of play, and pitcher Emily Wolfe made that lead stick by shutting out the Redbirds over the final six innings to secure the title.
    Black Hawk took control early in their second-place showdown with the Redbirds in game three, scoring twice in the first, four times in the second and twice more in the third to build up an 8-0 advantage.
    The Redbirds got on the scoreboard with a run in the fourth, but the Warriors came back with four key insurance runs in the fifth to go up 12-1.
    Darlington made things interesting by plating seven runs in the bottom of the fifth to ward off the mercy rule, however Black Hawk answered back with five runs in the sixth and two in the seventh to go back on top by 11 at 19-8.
    The ‘Birds showed they still had some life left in them by scoring three times in the bottom of the seventh inning, but Black Hawk pitcher Abby Schiferl ended the threat with a strike out as the Warriors snapped an 11-game losing streak dating back to their season opener against New Glarus.
    Kassy Paulson paced the 18-hit Warrior attack by going 4-for-5 with five runs batted in and four runs scored. Jen Wellnitz was 3-for-6 with three runs scored and a RBI, while Kelly Neuenschwander went 2-for-5 with three RBI and two runs.
    Tessa Cushman added two hits and three runs for the Warriors, and Michaela Akins was 2-for-6 with two RBI and a double.
    Abby Schiferl and Muranda Lomas each had two hits, while Courtney Wilde scored three runs and Brodie Abney scored twice for the hosts.
    Taylor Cox went 2-for-3 with a double, two runs and two RBI to lead the Redbirds. Anna Fitzsimons was 2-for-5 with a triple and a double, while Hailey Heins added a double and drove in three RBI with two runs scored for the guests.
    Jacke Johnson and Cait Fleming had two hits and a RBI for the ‘Birds.
    The Lady Warriors (2-11, 0-8 in conference) dropped a doubleheader at Argyle, 9-4 and 22-2, on Tuesday, May, 8; and another game to Barneveld, 12-1, at home on Thursday, May 10.
    Black Hawk has an upcoming SRE game at Monticello on Thursday afternoon, and the Warriors host Cassville/River Ridge in a non-conference game on Monday afternoon.

BLACK HAWK TOURNAMENT
Black Hawk… 242  045  2 - 19  18  3
Darlington….. 000  170  3 - 11  11  7
Leading Hitters: Black Hawk– Kassy Paulson 4x5, Jen Wellnitz 3x6, Tessa Cushman 2x4, Kelly Neuenschwander 2x5, Muranda Lomas 2x5, Abby Schiferl 2x6, Michaela Akins 2x6. 2B- Akins. Darlington–Taylor Cox 2x3, Cait Fleming 2x5, Jacke Johnson 2x5, Anna Fitzsimons 2x5. 3B- Fitzsimons. 2B- Haley Heins, Fitzsimons, T. Cox.
WP- Abby Schiferl. LP- Laura Steiner.

Black Hawk… 000  000  3 - 3  5  2
Highland……. 100  101  1 - 4  6  1
Leading Hitters: None.
WP- Wolfe. LP- Abby Schiferl.

Highland…… 211  000  0 - 4  7  0
Darlington…. 100  000  0 - 1  1  3
Leading Hitters: 2B- Anna Monson.
WP- Wolfe. LP- Jena Foulker.
At Gratiot on Saturday, May 12
   
GAME ONE
Black Hawk… 200  002  0 - 4  4  6
Argyle……….. 122  032  x - 9  6  2
Leading Hitters: Jen Wellnitz 2x2, Abby Schiferl 2x3.
WP- J. Treuthardt. LP- Abby Schiferl.

GAME TWO (Make-up from April 19)
Argyle……….. 81(12)  01 - 22  13  2
Black Hawk……. 000  20 -   2    3  4
Leading Hitters: None.
WP- J. Treuthardt. LP- Abby Schiferl.
At Argyle on Tuesday, May 8
   
Barneveld..…. 202  303  2 - 12  15  0
Black Hawk… 001  000  0 -   1    8  5
Leading Hitters: Jen Wellnitz 3x4.
WP- Scoville. LP- Schiferl.
At Gratiot on Thursday, May 10