The Heartland baseball team wrapped-up yet another successful week with two games at Rock Valley College Tuesday and a series against conference foe Danville Area Community College on Friday and Saturday. The Hawks won both games over Rock Valley before sweeping the four-game set over the Jaguars to improve to 45-4 on the season and 25-3 in conference play. The Hawks have now won 22-straight contests entering the final two weeks of the regular season.
 
Game 1
In a tightly-contested affair, two runs by the Hawks in the top of the ninth lifted them to an 8-6 victory over Rock Valley in game one on Tuesday. A sacrifice fly by Matt Santarelli plated Heartland's first run in the first inning before Jacyk Uehling was hit by a pitch with the bases juiced to make it 2-0. Sam Antonacci followed with a two RBI double in the second frame before Santarelli drove-in another tally on a fielder's choice to make it 5-0. After the Golden Eagles scored a run in the third, an RBI single by Corey Boyette made it 6-1 in favor of the Hawks in the fourth inning. Rock Valley would score twice more in the fourth, and three more runs in the fifth to tie things at 6-6. A fielder's choice with the bases loaded by Uehling in the ninth gave the Hawks the lead. TJ Williams would also drive-in a run moments later after drawing a walk with the bases still loaded to provide some insurance.
 
Game 2
A 14-hit performance by the Hawks led to an 11-5 win in game two of Tuesday's doubleheader over the Golden Eagles. Williams and Coupet both finished with three-hit outings for the Hawks, while Uehling, Antonacci and Kyle Jannenga each had two hits apiece for the visitors. Bobby Atkinson also supplied a home run for Heartland in the fifth frame to make it 9-3.
 
Game 3
After facing an early deficit, the Hawks tallied 15 hits in a 14-6 victory over Danville Area Friday at The Corn Crib. The Jaguars took a 2-0 lead after the top of the first on a two-run homer, but the Hawks took little time to respond. The home team scored five times in the second frame to take a 5-2 advantage, as Santarelli, Gallien Coupet and Antonacci all contributed run-scoring knocks. Danville Area countered with four runs in the ensuing top-half of the third, but Heartland again had a response with four runs of its own to make it 9-6. The Hawks would add five more runs in the sixth to open up a 14-6 lead. Williams (4-4, 3 R, 1 RBI) and Coupet (3-4, 1 R, 1 RBI) led the charge offensively for the Hawks. Jack Stellano received the win after throwing 3.0 innings in relief. The southpaw allowed no runs on 1 hit, while striking-out 4.
 
Game 4
A shut-out performance by Heartland lefty Jason Buhl lifted the Hawks to an 11-1 win over the Jaguars in game two of Friday's doubleheader at The Corn Crib. Buhl threw 5.0 innings, yielding 3 hits and punching-out 5. Antonacci led Heartland offensively after going 4-4 with 2 runs and 2 RBI's. After a scoreless first frame, the Hawks scored in every offensive appearance. Williams also contributed a multi-hit performance for the Hawks, with Uehling leaving the yard on a three-run shot in a six-run fourth inning.
 
Game 5
Heartland traveled to Danville for the remaining two games of the series on Saturday, with the Hawks taking the first contest 9-4. The Jaguars jumped-out in front first with four runs in the third inning. An RBI single by Aidan McNamee followed by a Daniel Mosele run-scoring hit made it 4-2 in the fourth inning. McNamee added a three-run homer to give the Hawks a 5-4 lead in the sixth. After Williams drove-in a run on an error by the Jaguars moments later, Coupet delivered a two-RBI triple to make it 8-4 in favor of the Hawks. A balk by Danville in the seventh awarded the lone other run for the Hawks.
 
Game 6
A three-hit, five-RBI performance by Bobby Atkinson ignited the Heartland offense to a 13-2 win over Danville in the series finale on Saturday. Atkinson contributed an RBI single in a five-run first frame, and added another in the second to make it 6-1. A double by Antonacci in the third plated two more tallies to extend the advantage to 8-1. In the sixth, Atkinson launched a three-run shot to right field to open things up at 11-2. The Hawks would score twice more in the inning before Drew Martin tossed a scoreless bottom-half to secure the win. Cy Cox was awarded the win for the Hawks after throwing 5.0 innings and allowing 2 runs on 6 hits. Cox also finished with 3 walks and 6 punch-outs.
 
The Hawks return to action at 11 am Tuesday for Education Day at The Corn Crib against Lakeland College.