Photo Courtesy of Jeff Yoder

The Mid-Prairie Golden Hawk softball team dropped a non-conference contest Wednesday to West Burlington Notre Dame 10-3 in Kalona. The Falcons entered the night leading Class 3A in five different offensive categories and flexed those muscles early, batting around in the first, scoring six times, including a three run homer for Madalynn Knapp against Golden Hawk starter Sydney Knebel. The Falcons tacked on another in the third, on a solo shot from Elise Oleson to make it 7-0. They threatened to end the game early with a three spot in the sixth. Trailing 10-0 late, the Golden Hawk bats showed life in the bottom half against Falcon starter Lauren Summers. Mid-Prairie scored two in the frame to avoid early elimination as Dakota Mitchell singled, Brenna Jehle walked and Knebel delivered a two out, two RBI single, to make it 10-2. In the seventh, the Hawks started with singles from Madeline Schrader and Olivia Swartzentruber before back-to-back strikeouts. Down to their final out, then their final strike twice, Mitchell singled to load the bags and Jehle walked to drive in Schrader before the game ended on a fly out. After the contest, Golden Hawk head coach Amy Hartsock-Williams joined the KCII postgame show to talk about her standouts. She said, “(Dakota Mitchell) was disciplined at the plate tonight. She did very well getting on base for us, sparking us, in a game where we didn’t have a lot of sparks. She’s also capable of making incredible defensive plays. the (1-6-3) double play, she’s done that this year. Top of the order stayed disciplined. Good pitch selection. Sophie (Miller) has really been hot at the plate. Syd (Knebel) has come on late. We need to keep that production going and see more production from the bottom of our lineup.”

The Falcons out hit the Hawks 10-7. Eight of the nine players in the West Burlington lineup scored a run and six of the nine had a hit. Mid-Prairie committed three errors. Knapp’s three RBI led the way for the Falcons. Summers got the win in the circle, going all seven, giving up seven hits, three runs all earned, and striking out 12. Knebel took the loss for the Hawks, going seven, surrendering 10 runs, three earned, and 10 hits. She also had two RBI. Mitchell reached three times with two hits and scored a run. Sophie Miller had two hits. With the loss, Mid-Prairie falls to 7-6 with a home game against No. 4 in Class 2A Wilton tonight in Kalona.