CARROLLTON - A strong offensive first inning by the Carrollton Hawks was good enough to hold off the Springfield Lutheran Crusaders for a 7-3 victory in the first game of a double-header in Carrollton on Saturday afternoon.
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Later in the day the Hawks completed the sweep as they won the second game 11-2.
The victories propelled the Hawks record to 24-4 and are currently enjoying a 10-game winning streak.
Cole Brannan went 2-for-4 with three RBI and Kolten Bottom went 1-for-1 in four plate appearances, but got on base all four times.
Bottom was on the mound for the Hawks and threw six innings, striking out 11 batters, while walking two.
He allowed two runs, one unearned, and gave up four hits and improves his record to 7-1.
“I felt like I started getting better throughout the game,” Bottom said. “I started working over on the left side of the rubber and I started throwing more strikes, which gave me a lot of confidence, and I felt better.”
Nathan Walker got the save for the Hawks.
After giving up a run in the top of the first, the Hawks lineup did as they have done so well all season long and that was produce runs early and often.
Cole Brannan roped an RBI triple into the left center field gap that drove in Alex Bowker.
After a pitch hit Bottom, the catcher, Hayden Stringer, ripped another triple into left center field, which scored Brannan and Bottom to give the Hawks the lead at 3-1.
Jeremy Watson added another run when he bounced a single into center field to make it 4-1.
Lutheran came back with a run in the top of the second, but that was all they could muster off of Bottom as he struck out the side to get out of a jam with runners on base.
“I couldn’t find it the first two innings,” Bottom said. “I walked more than I usually do. I found it after that.”
In the bottom half of the inning with the bases loaded and Brannan at bat, Gabe Jones scored on a wild pitch and then Brannan hit a sacrifice fly, which brought home Bowker to stretch Carrollton’s lead to 6-2.
Bottom laced an RBI single right field, which would conclude the Hawks scoring output.
In the second game of the day, Carrollton had another big first inning as they scored five runs.
Lutheran broke through for two runs in the sixth inning.
Bottom was 3-for-4 with three hits, including two doubles, and three RBI, and Jacob Lovel was 2-for-4 with two RBI.
Blake Struble pitched six innings as well and gave in just as good a shift as Bottom did in game one.
He struck out 10 hitters and walked five, while allowing two runs on four hits.
Struble is now 6-1 for the season.
