Hawks corral Ennis Mustangs

And then there was victory.

Locked into the ultra-tough Western B-C division this season with hardly a break between games with quality teams, the Thompson Falls Lady Hawks stepped out of the division to play a couple of non-conference games in Anaconda Friday and promptly won for the first time this season.

Coach Jared Koskela's Lady Hawks actually split a pair of games in Anaconda that day, falling 18-10 to Manhattan and then coming back to buck the Ennis Mustangs 14-9 for that elusive first win. Koskela feels the Hawks could have defeated Manhattan as well, but was happy with how his team competed in Anaconda.

"Maybe we found something that we can build on," he said. "Our bats really came alive against Ennis and it was good to see the girls building confidence like that."

The Lady Hawks have a busy week on tap. After playing a single game at Plains Tuesday (results were not available) the Hawks were set to visit Missoula Loyola for two games Thursday before returning to Thompson Falls and hosting Anaconda with a dedication for Randy Pirker prior to that game Saturday at 12:45 p.m.

Anaconda reportedly wants to cancel out of that game and athletic director Jake Mickelson was scrambling to find a replacement opponent early this week.

The win over Ennis was a season highlight for the Lady Hawks. The Hawks scored runs in every inning of that 14-9 win as they rapped out 20 base hits, and Kelsey Frank and Jody Detlaff pitched them to it.

Detlaff swung a hot bat for the Hawks with four base hits, including a double and a triple, driving in two runs and scoring three. Danni-jo Van Huss also went 4-for-4 and scored twice, Frank had three hits with two doubles and an RBI, and Riley Wilson contributed two hits, with another double, and drove in a team-high three runs.

Belle Copper knocked out two hits and drove in two more runs, Brooke Bowlin doubled twice and drove in a run, Shayla Micklon added a base hit and Faith Frields did not get a base hit but drove in another pair of runs.

The Hawks also hit the ball well against Manhattan, busting out 17 hits in that game.

Bowlin went 4-for-4 with another pair of doubles, Detlaff went 3-for-4, Van Huss 2-for-2, Abbigayle Lane and Cooper 2-for-3 and Frields 2-for-4. Frank and Wilson added a base hit each to lead the Hawk offensive attack.

Wilson, Cooper, Bowlin, Detalff and Van Huss drove in a run apiece.

In other action last week, the Hawks dropped both ends of a doubleheader 21-2 and 8-7 to Troy in Thompson Falls Tuesday, April 23.

Koskela felt the second game that day represents a season turnaround of sorts for his Lady Hawks. "The first game was one of our poorer efforts of the year," he said, "so we had a team sit-down after it and talked about what we needed to do to get better.

"And we played much, much better in the second game," he added. "I think the girls realize better now what we need to do."

The Hawks smacked 12 hits in that second game led by Cooper who had three, Wilson, Bowlin and Lane added two each and Frank, Izzy Helmer and Detlaff one apiece. Both of Wilson's hits were doubles, Cooper, Detlaff and Lane also had one double each, and Frank's only hit was a triple.

Cooper and Lane drove in two runs apiece and Wilson one.

Detlaff went the distance in pitching the game for Thompson Falls.

Wilson and Van Huss drove in Thompson Falls' runs in the first game loss.