SOUTH WAYNE — Needing a win over Black Hawk to inch closer to a conference title, Argyle won a grinder of a game May 11, toppling the Warriors 5-4 in nine innings.

“Big win for us. We needed this today. We came off two tough games against Belmont and Highland, so this was good,” Orioles coach Heidi Ganshert said. Argyle had lost to top-ranked Belmont (19-0) and fourth-ranked Highland (18-1) the previous two days.

The game featured a little bit of everything that would be expected of a late season game — timely hitting, a few fantastic defensive plays and two of the conference’s top pitchers making hitters work.

“These are the good games to have,” Black Hawk coach Curt Leuzinger said. “They get us ready for tournament time.”

Black Hawk junior Hannah Butler, a first-team all-conference pitcher in 2018, struck out 11 Orioles hitters, but allowed nine hits and three walks. Argyle freshman Grace Ganshert finished with 9 Ks while allowing five hits and two walks.

“We just have to put the ball in play and get some runners on. That’s our main concern. Whatever it takes to get on, we get on. Whether it’s a walk, a hit, an error — we preach getting on,” Leuzinger said.

Black Hawk took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first with a little bit of small ball. Bailey Butler walked on five pitches to open the frame and advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt by Natalie Leuzinger. Bailey then stole third base on the first pitch of Hannah’s at-bat and scored two pitches later on a sacrifice fly. 

Argyle tied it in the top of the second in similar fashion. Jayden Saalsaa opened the inning with a five-pitch walk and moved to second on a Leah Flanagan groundout. Saalsaa then stole third on the first pitch to Alysabeth Lantz, who singled two pitches later to drive in the run.

The Orioles briefly took the lead in the third when Saalsaa smacked a two-out double to center. 

Black Hawk responded with haste. Bailey Butler took a 1-2 pitch over the fence in center for a one-out solo home run. Leuzinger then walked and Hannah Butler singled to left to put two runners on. With two outs, Mia Jackson doubled to left to score both runners and give the Warriors a 4-3 lead.

Argyle tied the game in the fifth thanks to some stealthy work on the base paths. With one out and runners on the corners for No. 3-hitter Kirsten Ostby, Lexi Leigh broke hard and stole second. Watching the throw, Claudia Miller scored from third to tie the game.

“It was really intense; you definitely felt the pressure — a lot of frustration going back and forth. It was a back-and-forth game the entire time,” Ostby said.

Both teams had opportunities over the next few innings to scratch in a run, but each time the opposing pitcher and defense stepped up. One such moment came courtesy of Ostby, a normally sure-handed shortstop who threw a tough ball to first that Maggie Godfrey couldn’t handle. While the runner didn’t score, Ostby let the moment get to her and in the top of the seventh with a runner on second, she got jammed inside and couldn’t beat the throw to first.

“She (Hannah Butler) was jamming me up pretty much the whole game. There was a lot of frustration going on, but I had to get my head back in it because we still had a lot of game left,” Ostby said.

She got redemption two innings later.

With one out in the top of the ninth, Grace Ganshert doubled over the head of Jackson in center. Ganshert, who was 0-for-3 with three strikeouts prior to her extra base hit, then moved to third on a groundout by Leigh.

After watching a pair of balls, Ostby lined a single to the right side to drive in the run. 

“Pretty much the only thing going through my mind was that I needed to hit it,” Ostby said. “I was trying to focus on not getting jammed again — and she did jam me — but I turned on it a little bit more than I did the last time.”

Facing the 6-7-8 hitters of Black Hawk’s lineup, Ganshert needed just nine pitches in the bottom of the ninth to close the door.

“We’ve waited a long time to be at our best, so I’m glad it was today,” Heidi Ganshert said. “They really did grind it out. Our starting pitcher from last night got hit in her finger, so she couldn’t throw anything she wanted to throw. For them to come out here and do what they did, they did a good job.”

With the seeding meeting settling the first-round postseason matchups prior to the game, the game had different meanings for each team. Argyle entered tied with Juda-Albany in the conference standings. The two were scheduled to meet May 14 in Juda, with the winner possibly taking the conference crown. Argyle was also supposed to play River Ridge of the Six Rivers West May 13. The Orioles open the postseason with a bye and will host River Ridge again May 21.

“We always have a lot to work on. Our batting has always been something that we need to power through and do well. That’s what we’re focusing on right now,” Heidi Ganshert said.

For now, Ostby, a senior, is taking it day by day and enjoying her final moments on the diamond in black and orange.

“This has been the best year of softball I have been a part of. We have put so much effort into each practice — we take it seriously — each game. This is a group of die-hard softball players, so it’s fun to play with,” Ostby said.

Black Hawk has the third-best record in the Six Rivers East, but was trying to find a way to gain some momentum prior to playoffs starting. The Warriors lost to fourth-ranked Highland two days earlier and only had a doubleheader against Monticello May 14 remaining on the schedule.

“We’ve already been seeded, so we’ll just wait for the tournament time,” Curt Leuzinger said. Black Hawk will travel to Potosi for a second-round game May 21. 

Belmont 7, Argyle 1

ARGYLE — The Orioles gave up four runs in the seventh inning to the state’s top-ranked team in Division five in a loss May 9.

Belmont scored three runs in the first inning and then were shut down the rest of the night.

After giving up a leadoff walk in the seventh, a sacrifice bunt turned into a fielder’s choice that ended with both runners safe on the corners. Two pitches later, a line drive to center got by center fielder Jadyn Saalsaa, which allowed both runners to score. A bunt single to the next batter again put two runners on with nobody out. Back-to-back batted balls scored two more runners to put the Braves up 7-0.

In the bottom of the seventh, Tori Lantz doubled with one out and scored on a single by Alysabeth Lantz with two away.

Kyah Hendrickson took the loss on the mound, allowing just three earned runs in seven innings of work. Hendrickson gave up seven hits and a walk with one strikeout on an efficient 77 pitches.

Argyle had just three hits and three walks in the ballgame. Grace Ganshert walked twice, and Ostby joined the Lantz sisters with a first-inning single.

Highland 2, Argyle 1

ARGYLE — Against the fourth-ranked Cardinals, the Orioles lost a 1-0 lead in the third and couldn’t find a way to scratch another run in their game May 10.

Highland took advantage of three errors in Argyle’s ugly third inning of defense, scoring two runs with two outs. The Cardinals went hitless in the inning and had just one walk. The inning’s leadoff hitter reached on a dropped third strike, then two other batters reached on errors.

Grace Ganshert had all three of Argyle’s hits from the top of the order, which included a double. She also scored the team’s only run in the first inning.

Of the 33 batters she faced in the game, Ganshert threw 26 first-pitch strikes. Both runs were unearned. Ganshert had 11 strikeouts and allowed just five hits and a walk.

Highland 5, Black Hawk 3

HIGHLAND — Hannah Butler hit a 3-run home run in the top of the seventh, but the Warriors were unable to topple the Six Rivers West’s second-best team May 9.

Highland led 3-0 after the second inning, scoring all three runs on a pair of Black Hawk errors. The Cardinals then added a run in the fifth and another in the sixth — a solo inside-the-park home run by Meg Tarrell.

“Highland was a good game. It taught us that you have to do the little things. They scored three runs on two errors, and right there the game is tied 3-3 with Hannah Butler’s home run in the last inning,” Curt Leuzinger said.

Hannah Butler had nine strikeouts in the game while allowing six hits and two walks with two hit batters. Just one run — Tarrell’s homer — was earned.

Bailey Butler was 2 for 4 at the plate while teammate Maddy Huschitt was 3 for 3. The Warriors struck out just four times and had seven hits and a walk.