(Harlan) Harlan held off Atlantic in the first game, and the Trojans won the nightcap in a slugfest at Harlan on Thursday night.
A storm swept through Atlantic on June 7, halting the game in the top of the fourth between these two Hawkeye Ten Conference rivals. The contest resumed on Thursday night, with Harlan leading 2-1.
Zoey Kirchhoff in the circle for the Trojans allowed just one base runner in the final four innings. Tianna Kasperbauer pitched out of a jam in the bottom of the seventh to salvage the win. Maddie Huddleson and Jada Jensen pounded back-to-back one-out singles, but Kasperbauer dealt a strikeout and a ground out to give the Cyclones the 2-1 win.
Harlan scored runs in the first and third innings. Atlantic’s only tally came in the bottom of the third.
Jordan Heese went 2-3 at the plate, and Ella Plagman, Ellie Ineson, and Regan Kramer singled for the Cyclones. Jada Jensen went 3-4, and Maddie Huddleson drilled the other hit to lead Atlantic offensively.
The Trojans’ bats exploded in the nightcap scoring 16 runs on 17 hits. Harlan plated ten runs on 12 hits.
The Cyclones jumped out to a one-nothing lead in the bottom of the first inning; however, the Trojans countered with eight runs on seven hits in the bottom of the second to grab an 8-1 lead. The loudest hit came with two outs. Kirchhoff singled, and Claire Pellett, hitting the ninth spot in the lineup, drilled a two-run shot over the left field fence. The long ball sparked the Trojans to five more hits and six more runs in the same frame. Atlantic followed the eight-run second inning with six more runs on four hits in the top of the third and led 14-1. Kirchhoff belted in three-run homer.
Harlan scratched and clawed their way back into the contest with four runs in the bottom of the third inning and four more in the fourth, closing the gap to 14-9. Ellie Ineson stroked a two RBI double in the third and joined Madison Kjergard, Kasperbauer, and Ella Plagman, with singles in the fourth.
The Trojans plated two insurance runs in the top of the seventh inning, and Harlan mustered one in the bottom of the stanza, and the game settled out with a 16-10 win for Atlantic.
Riley Wood picked up the win for Atlantic in the circle. Zoey Kirchhoff finished the game with a save. Tianna Kasperbauer took the loss for the Cyclones.
Kirchhoff went 3-4, Malena Woodward, 3-5 with two singles and an RBI double, and Riley Wood, and Jada Jensen hammered out two hits a piece. Jensen ended the doubleheader 5-8 at the plate to lead the Trojans.
Madison Kjergard led the Cyclones with three singles, and Ella Plagman went 2-5.
Harlan is now 11-5 in the Conference and 13-12 overall. Atlantic is 11-6 in conference play and 17-14 in all games.
