Cyclones clinch conference baseball title with sweep of Red Oak

 RED OAK -- The Harlan Community baseball team put the finishing touches on a Hawkeye Ten Conference championship late last week, sweeping Red Oak in a doubleheader that started Thursday and concluded on Saturday morning (July 1).
 HCHS defeated the Tigers 9-2 in game one and led 7-0 in game two when play was suspended by lightning after four innings. About 36 hours later, the 2nd-ranked (3-A) Cyclones finished off an 11-1 victory and improved to 24-2 overall and 18-1 inside the Hawkeye Ten, clinching the league title with one game remaining. St. Albert and Lewis Central are tied for second with four conference losses apiece.
Game one recap:
 Senior Kyle Schmitz (6-0) pitched a complete game six-hitter and also hit his third home run of the year as the Cyclones broke things open with five runs in the third and three in the fourth to win 9-2 in game one.
 Schmitz helped his own cause by going 3-for-4 at the plate with a homer, double and four RBI. Dillon Sears (3 stolen bases) and Connor Bruck were both 2-for-3 with two runs scored, including a double for Bruck. Brett Sears had the only other Cyclone hit and drove in two.
Game two recap:
 HCHS totaled just six hits in game two but was aided by 12 walks, a hit batter and five Tiger errors to win 11-1. The Cyclones once again used the big inning to their advantage, scoring four runs in the second, three in the fourth and three in the seventh.
 Jacob Bartley (1-0) pitched the first four innings on Thursday for his first varsity win, allowing just one hit and no runs while walking four and striking out two. Brett Sears worked the last three innings Saturday for his first save, allowing one hit and one run, walking two and striking out six.
 Offensively, Ryan Doran went 2-for-4 with a double and two runs scored, Dillon Sears also hit a double and Brett Sears, Nick Foss and Logan Klaassen all singled. Foss scored twice and drove in three runs while Klaassen had two RBI.
 Dillon Sears finished with three of the Cyclones’ nine stolen bases in game two, giving him six steals in the doubleheader and 33 on the season.

 
 

 

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