Heartland softball got back in the win column on Friday, as the Hawks defeated Sauk Valley Community College 11-3 in both contests at The Corn Crib. The Hawks improved to 12-12 on the season with the two victories.
 
In the opening contest of the afternoon, the Skyhawks struck first with a solo shot by Liz Mois to make it 1-0 through one inning. The Hawks would respond in the bottom-half of the second, as Bailey Brooks and Landes Benedict each walked before Concetta DeBord drove in Heartland's first run on a miscue by Sauk Valley to tie the game at 1-1. Moments later, Ellie Downing laced a three-run bomb to center field to give the Hawks a 4-1 advantage.
 
Sauk Valley's Mickayla Bass launched a two-run home run of her own in the ensuing half-inning to narrow the deficit to 4-3 for the Skyhawks. From there, it was all Heartland, as the Hawks scored eight unanswered tallies to take the win. Run-scoring singles by Lilly Hicks and Benedict made it 6-3 through three innings.
 
Base hits by Downing, Erin Anderson, Raeghan Morefield and Kennadi Rico pushed the lead to 9-3 in the fourth. Downing would add another long ball in the fifth, this time a two-run homer, to end the game in five frames. Downing led the charge for the Hawks offensively with three hits and five RBI's. Benedict also had a multi-hit game for the Hawks.
 
Game two was much of the same for the Hawks. This time, however, the home team struck early and often on the offensive side to begin the contest. Benedict and DeBord opened the game with singles before Anderson scored both with a double to right-center to give Heartland a 2-0 advantage. Morefield added a two-run shot moments later to make it 4-0 after the opening frame.
 
The Hawks added four more tallies in the second, as Rico opened with a single followed by a Jaiden Walters hit. Benedict delivered a two-RBI single moments later before DeBord launched a home run to center field to extend the advantage to 8-0.
 
The Skyhawks would score once in the third, but Downing extended the lead further in the fourth with her third long ball of the day to make it 10-1 in favor of Heartland. The Skyhawks scored two more tallies in the fifth, but a single by DeBord in the bottom of the frame scored Rico to end the contest at 11-3.
 
Kaitlyn Robinson (1-0) recorded the win for the Hawks in a complete-game effort, yielding three runs (two earned) on four hits, with three walks and five punchouts. Benedict and DeBord paced the Hawks offensively with three hits apiece, while Morefield, Rico and Walters each supplied two hits.
 
The Hawks return to action at 3 pm Wednesday for a doubleheader at Illinois Central College.