HAYWARD -- The Hawks learned their opposition and game site for the WBA State Finals next weekend.

They head to Osseo Merchants Park Saturday for two scheduled games. At 1:00 pm they will play the loser of Friday night's contest between Wisconsin Rapids and Viroqua. Then at 7:00 pm they play the winner of that Rapids-Viroqua contest.

Wins in both of those games would make the Hawks the winner of Pool #4. and would meet the Pool #1 winner at 10:00 am on Sunday. If they continue their winning ways they will meet the Pool #2-Pool #3 winner for the State Championship at 4:00 pm those games at Osseo.

HAYWARD -- The Hawks are going to the WBA State Finals for the third consecutive year.

A five-run first inning was enough, but they added insurance runs in the seventh and eighth for a 7-4 ein over the Chippewa Falls Lumberjacks at Larry Somerville Field.

Starting Pitcher Phil Zeigle threw six scoreless innings, allowing five hits and no walks to get the victory.

The Hawks sent nine batters to the plate in their five-run first inning. Keith Heinz's double drove in the first two runs. Austin Wessel's sacrifice fly scored Heinz for a 3-0 lead. Zeigle followed with a two-out double  that scored Gunnar Hansen who had walked. Jake Sande followed with a single to drive in Zeigle for a 5-0 lead.

Hansen's double in the seventh scored Ryan Gerber who started the inning with a double of his own. Gerber then brought in Sande with a sacrifice fly to complete the Hawks' scoring.

The Hawks now wait to learn the WBA's State Finals pairings to see when their next game will be.

HAYWARD -- Tom Danczyk went the distance in a three-hit shutout of the Washburn Sharptails in the WBA Regionals at Larry Somerville Field. The Hawks wo 3-0 to advance to Sunday's game at 1:00 against Chippewa Valley.

Danczyk needed 104 pitches (unofficial) to complete his masterful performance.

All the Hawks needed was the games first run in the third. Pail Danczyk was at first following a fielder's choice. He came all the way in on Ryan Gerber's two-out double to right-center field. Against reliever Reese Fkeig the Hawks added two more runs in thr sixth inning without a base hit. Gubbar Hansen scored from third of a shortstops error. Jason Easmusseb's sacrifice fly to left brought Jonah Sande from third.

HAYWARD -- The Hawks beat Brill and the Haugen Hornets to take the Independent League Tournament title as they prepare for the state semifinals next weekend.

Friday night the Hawks held off the Brill Millers 7-6 to advance to Saturday's championship game where they topped the Hornets 6-2.

In the title game the Hawks leading 1-0 extended the lead to 4-0 with a three-run fourth inning. Josh Kanters' two-out broken bat infield single scored Phil Zeigle from second. Tom Danczyk followed with a ringing double to bring home Zeigle and Kanters. 

Down 4-1 the Hornets pushed across another run in the fifth to trim the Hawks lead to 4-2. with the Hawks putting the game away with two runs on the sixth on Zeigle's RBI double who then scored on Danczyk's single.

To get to the title game the Hawks built a 7-0 lead with a three run fifth. A Millers fielding error opened the door. Zeigle drove in Jonah Sande with a single. Kanters scored on a wild pitch and Trent Kirkland scored on Jason Rasmussen's groundout.

The Millers answered that with their in the bottom of the fifth and back-to-back two-out base hits.

That set the scene for Brill's wild rally in the bottom of the seventh. Matt Flesher relieved to start the inning. Leadoff hitter Bill Brown reached on a single after his catchable foul ball fell. One out later an error and an infield single that caromed off of Flesher. After a pop fly made it two outs Logan Hile doubled to center sending home three runners fo cut the Hawks lead to 7-6.

Then with two outs Hile tried inexplicably to steal third and was gunned down by Kirkland to end the game.