Box Score 1 | Box Score 2
    The Heartland Softball team headed down South to Park Hills, Missouri, to attend the Midwest Clash, where the Hawks were set to face Mineral Area College and Southeastern Illinois College. The doubleheader on Friday, February 20th, was filled with a lot of action in the field and even more activity at the plate.

    The first game of the day was against the Mineral Area Cardinals, marking the first matchup between the two teams. At the plate, the Hawks were able to start things off strong by scoring first in the top of the first thanks to a single by freshman Jenna Adkins. The five-hole hitter led the Hawks through the game, going 3 for 3 with a triple. Behind her, leading off for the Hawks was sophomore outfielder, Kendall Lowery, who added on two hits and a run to cap the five-inning game. The Hawks were able to accumulate seven hits and add on four walks through 20 at-bats. Jayde Gonet started things off on the mound, giving up four hits through seven batters before Keearrah Brown stepped in to finish the rest of the game. The freshman only allowed one earned run across six hits through 21 batters. The right-handed pitcher also collected a strikeout before the game stopped short. The Hawks fell short 2-10 as they were run-ruled in the 5th, but were able to bounce back stronger for their second matchup.

    The final game of the day was against the Southeastern Illinois College Falcons, walking the game off at the bottom of the 7th. Brown kept things rolling on the mound, pitching 5.1 innings once again. Through 31 batters, the sophomore only allowed two walks, seven earned runs, and sat down one batter to finish her outing. Gonet came as the closer for the Hawks, only allowing four hits and three earned runs. Across the lineup, the team accumulated 20 total hits and four walks through 38 at-bats. This time around, freshman Shelby Oakley showed up at the plate with three hits and two walks, batting 1.000. Stealing the show and ending the game for the Hawks, right-fielder Sophia Beckett was able to add three hits and two runs in the game. In a flashy fashion, the right-handed batter sent one over the fence, giving the Hawks a three-run homerun to walk off the high scoring game 15-14.

    The Hawks now sit at 1-1 on the year and are ready to make an impact on the weekend as they head down to Missouri again. The Branson Showtime Classic is held on Friday and Saturday (February 27th-28th), where the Hawks are looking to take four before returning to play in March.