The Mavericks flexed their muscle in the improved Heinrich League on June 2, knocking off the Hawks with an impressive offensive display at Holcom.

The contest stayed close for the first three innings, with Hawks starting pitcher Dan Simons and reliever Steve Melton keeping the Mavericks’ bats quiet, but the Mavericks opened the game up in the fourth inning and finished the game ahead 11-4.

“We didn’t play fundamentally sound but we still won the game,” Mavericks coach Mark Sconeweis said. “A couple weeks ago we challenged the kids to play better and they’ve won three straight. They’ve played better but they still haven’t played their best.”

The Hawks jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the top of the first inning. Leadoff hitter Ryan Gutierrez walked and stole second and third bases before Antonio Garcia singled, bringing Gutierrez home.

After Simons held the Mavericks scoreless in the bottom of the frame, the Hawks scored again in the top of the second inning when Will Pellet drove in Steve Melton.

Mavericks players Ryan Giblin, left, and Andy Urban, right, play a game during a rain delay in the dugout as teammate Joey Sakumura watches Tuesday at Holcom. The Henirich League game against the 14-U Rebels was cancelled because of rain.

The Mavericks tied the game in the bottom of the inning, scoring two runs on hits by Taylor Gentry, Blake Jackson and Andrew Schoneweis. Then the Mavericks took a 3-2 lead in the third inning after Gentry singled to score Andy Urban.

After that, the Mavericks’ offense heated up.

In the fourth inning, Schoneweis singled and stole second, advancing to third on a passed ball. After Joey Sakumura walked, Jake Pfannenstiel came to the plate and layed down a suicide squeeze that scored Schoneweis, who slid under Koty Russel’s tag. Wingert and Urban also drove in runs in the inning as the Mavericks went up 6-2.

As Gentry pitched well for the Mavericks, the team’s offense did more damage in the bottom of the fifth. The Mavericks went up 10-2 on a single by Schoneweis and a series of fielding errors by the Hawks.

The Hawks mounted a rally in the top of the sixth inning, with Gutierrez and Garcia leading off with back-to-back singles and both coming around to score. Mavericks’ pitcher Blake Jackson dug in though, stifling the would-be comeback at just those two runs.

The Mavericks added another run in the bottom of the sixth when DELG (WHO??) singled and scored a run. The game was called for time at the end of the inning, with the Mavericks on top, 11-4.

Schoneweis finished the game with three hits for the Mavericks, and Urban, Delg and Gentry added two hits apiece.

Garcia went 2-3 with two runs batted in and Simons pitched two innings, allowing two runs and striking out two for the Hawks.

The Hawks coaching staff was naturally dissapointed with the loss, but still saw some value in the effort.

“We got a lot of work in for our pitchers,” said Drave Wager, one of the Hawks coaches. “We have a tournament this weekend, so we wanted to get as many of them out there as possible.”