HS SOFTBALL: Hard-hitting Hawks flying into playoffs
May 11—HAMBURG — Mel Edwards picked up one large white bucket and stacked it on top of another.
Standing behind a screen inside the meshed-tent batting cage a few short steps from Hamburg's home dugout, the Hawks assistant coach reached in for a couple yellow softballs and went back to windmilling batting practice. Pitch after pitch, Hamburg batters took their hacks, hundreds and hundreds of swings before game time.
It showed.
Hamburg smashed hit after hit, overwhelming Reading 15-0 in three innings in a Berks League Section I-II crossover game on a sunny Monday afternoon atop Hawk Hill. The Hawks (17-2, 9-2 Berks II) clubbed 15 hits — eight of them for extra bases — to cap their regular season with a romp. Hamburg bashed 11 hits in a 13-run first inning that settled the issue.
Sophomore third baseman Katie Behler had two triples and three RBIs in the first inning alone. Senior catcher Alison Gassert lofted a sacrifice fly and scorched a three-run double; freshman leadoff batter and right fielder Kylah Reading had two singles, two runs and two RBIs; and senior pitcher Haley Gravish went 2-for-2 with a double, her area-leading 10th triple of the season and three runs scored.
Gravish took care of things in the circle, too, retiring all nine Red Knights she faced, eight of them on strikeouts.
The bats, though, were the story of the day — the season, really, for Hamburg. In 15 of their 19 games, the Hawks have compiled double-digit hits. They've scored in double figures 13 times.
"We do it every day, not always in the cage. Sometimes we're out here (on the field)," Hamburg coach Zena Lutz said of the extensive batting practice. "Mel and I take turns pitching batting practice every day, and they hit a good amount of balls every single day at practice."
Lutz said many players stay after practice for extra swings or to take extra ground balls. Throwing buckets of balls for batting practice is part of the Hawks' daily routine.
"We have had 32 practices to this point, and the girls have worked hard every single day," Lutz said. "That's what makes us successful on game days. Our hitting and pitching definitely stand out, but all the other little things are complementing our strengths. We are still working every day to improve those fundamentals to be an even better team."
That work ethic starts with a large senior class. In addition to Gravish and Gassert, first baseman Avrie Schiffert, designated player Morgan Kleckner, center fielder Sarah Kramer and left fielder Riley Adam started against Reading.
"I think we've really meshed well together," Gravish said. "We're all really close, and I think that helps with us playing in the game."
Added Gassert: "We've been working hard all season. We're really close. We do extra hitting. We have good chemistry, and we all have a really good work ethic."
That work ethic has produced some huge statistics.
Gravish leads the team with a .561 batting average, with seven doubles, 10 triples, six home runs and 35 RBIs. In the circle, she's 13-2 with a 1.93 ERA. She's struck out 160 in 87 innings.
Freshman shortstop Hailey Strunk is hitting .473 with four homers and 23 RBIs. Kleckner (.519), Schiffert (.508), Reading (.484) and Behler (.451) give the Hawks a deep, explosive lineup.
And that's after missing last season and most of the offseason due to COVID-19 shutdowns.
"I feel like since we have an older group of girls, we weren't as far behind as you would be if you had a younger group of girls," Lutz said. "The senior class, they played as freshmen — it would have been four years for them — they're good leaders and good examples."
Hamburg will count on its senior leaders this weekend when the Berks County Interscholastic Athletic Association Softball Tournament gets under way. Hamburg will open the county playoffs in the quarterfinals at 9 a.m. Saturday at Muhlenberg against an opponent yet to be determined. The semifinals will be May 18 at Lyons, with the championship game May 20 at 6 p.m. at Lyons.
The District 3 playoffs will begin the following week. Hamburg is rated second among 18 teams in Class 4A. Bishop McDevitt (15-0) entered the day as the No. 1 seed. With the playoffs returning to full capacity this season, District 3 4A is expected to advance its top three teams to states.
Twin Valley (12-0), which handed Hamburg its only two losses this season, is the No. 1 team among 30 in Class 5A.
"The attitude is great. The kids don't quit," Lutz said. "It's really fun. I think they're having a lot of fun.
"They're making up for lost time," she added. "They were upset that we missed last year. We would have had a very similar team last year. So they're ready and they're playing hard, and they want to win. And we'll see how far we can go."
Contact the writer: blipsky@republicanherald.com; 570-628-6012: @boblipskyRH on Twitter
