DARLINGTON – Three Darlington pitchers combined to throw a no-hitter as the host Redbirds topped Black Hawk, 8-3, in their season opener at Otto Ruf Field on Tuesday, March 27.
    Carter Lancaster and Shane Gallagher each drove in two runs in the game, while Barry Schliem and Jackson Hemming scored two runs apiece to lead the Redbirds (1-1 overall) at the plate.
    Hemming (1-0) also picked up the win on the mound, tossing three and a third scoreless innings in relief of starter Preston Banfield, who allowed three runs on seven walks over an inning and two-thirds work. Nick Andrae added two scoreless innings in relief of Hemming to pick up a save and join his teammates in a no-hit performance.
    Hemming did not walk a batter, while Andrae issued just one walk over the final two innings. The Redbirds’ trio combined to strikeout 14 batters led by Hemming with six punch-outs. Banfield and Andrae each recorded four Ks in the win.
    Black Hawk (0-1) grabbed an early 3-2 lead with a three-run outburst in the top of the second inning Jace Tuescher and Jason Treuthardt were issued back-to-back walks with the bases loaded to bring in runs, while Brody Milz was a hit by pitch with the bases full to score Rece Shelton for the go-ahead run.
    Darlington regained the lead with a five-run rally in the bottom of the fourth inning. Errors brought in the first two runs to put the hosts back into the lead to stay, and then Lancaster walked with the bases full to plate another run and Gallagher followed with the game’s first base hit to plate two more runs to make it 7-3.
    Chase Mosley added a single in the game, while Ben Cooper singled and scored a run for the ‘Birds, who took advantage of 13 walks allowed by four Warrior pitchers.
    Jayden Stietz (0-1) allowed three earned unearned runs on three walks with three Ks in two and a third innings of work to suffer the loss for Black Hawk.
    At Darlington, on Monday, April 2, the battle of the Solberg Brothers went to older brother Jeff as his Argyle Orioles took down Brad’s Redbirds, 6-3, in a non-conference contest on a chilly afternoon.
    The Orioles (1-1) struck for four runs in the top of the first inning to put the Redbirds in a quick hole that they were never able to climb their way out of the rest of the game.
    Jeff’s squad tacked on single insurance runs in the third and fourth frames to build up a 6-0 advantage.
    Darlington plated a run in the bottom of the fourth, and then added two runs in the seventh to cut the deficit down to 6-3. However, it wasn’t enough as the Orioles held on for their first win of 2018.
    Shane Gallagher finished 2-for-4 with a run scored and two runs batted in to lead the Redbirds. Bailey McGuire added two hits and a run, and Ben Cooper had an RBI-single for the ‘Birds.
    Gavin Johnson was 2-for-3 with a run and an RBI, while Miken Godfrey ripped a RBI-double for the Orioles..
    The Redbirds will host Lancaster in a non-conference game on Thursday, April 5, and then have SWAL games at home against Fennimore on Friday, April 6, and at Cuba City on Tuesday, April 10. All three games are set to start at 4:30 p.m.
    Next up, Black Hawk has a Six Rivers crossover doubleheader scheduled at home against Potosi on Friday, April 6, starting at 4:30 p.m. The Warriors will be at Argyle on Monday, April 9 (4 p.m.), and then play at Pecatonica on Tuesday, April 10 (5 p.m.), in Six Rivers East games.

Black Hawk… 030  000  0 – 3  0  4
Darlington….. 200  510  x – 8  3  2
Leading hitters: BH– None. D– None.
WP- Jackson Hemming. LP- Jayden Stietz.
S- Nick Andrae.

Argyle……… 401  100  0 – 6  5  2
Darlington… 000  100  2 – 3  6  0
Leading hitters: Bailey McGuire 2x4, Shane Gallagher 2x4.
WP- Flannery. LP- Barry Schliem.