SPRING VALLEY — Some early miscues allowed the Ellsworth Hubbers to take to the scoreboard early, but the Spring Valley Hawks answered back with 12 unanswered runs for a 12-2 win in seven innings July 26.

With runners on first and third for the Hubbers and a full count to the batter, runner Derek Johnson took off on a pitch that was ultimately ball four. Unaware of the count, catcher Garrett Guthrie made the mistake of throwing down to second base where no one was covering due to the walk. Kasey Bass ended up scoring from third as the ball trickled into the outfield.

In the third, Bass hit a ground ball that looked destined for a double play, but an errant throw to first brought in a second run.

This served as a wake-up call for the Hawks, who would quickly move on and begin to fight back.

“I just think we started clicking on all cylinders,” Blaine Guthrie, who had a strong day at the plate for the Hawks, said. “The zone opened up a little bit more, and calls started going our way a little bit more. That’s when the wave started and we kind of rode it.”

The Hawks worked things out, absolutely cruising to a 10-run win. The hitting came from just about everyone in the lineup, with three runs coming in the third, two in the fourth, two in the fifth, three in the sixth and two in the seventh.

While everyone was hitting, Zac Balsiger stood out the most to Guthrie.

“He really turned things around for us. He came up to the leadoff spot, and I want to say he had three hits tonight,” Guthrie said. “Up and down the lineup we had just timely hitting.”

On the mound it was Treysen Witt going the distance, locking in to keep the Hubbers quiet while the Spring Valley offense put up big numbers.

“He’s a bulldog, and that’s just the best way to put it,” Guthrie said. “Nothing’s going to get in his way. He’s going to keep doing what he’s been doing his whole life. I think that’s just his best asset about him.”

The Hubbers had posted major offensive numbers themselves a week prior, but after scoring three against Prescott and two against Spring Valley, they are in need of a spark heading into the St. Croix Valley Baseball League Tournament that runs from Aug. 2-4.

“Momentum’s a funny thing,” Hubbers Manager Jeremiah Paulson said. “Hitting is contagious and it’s equally contagious the other way. Guys aren’t going good, they start pressing. Same way when you’re going good, guys are more relaxed and more free.”

For all the teams in the tournament, the key will be having a number of pitchers they can trust to give them innings. In a tournament style of play, it will take more than a couple of pitchers to lead to the title, and Paulson knows that.

“We’ll throw the same guys, get the innings out of them,” Paulson said. The goal will be to keep them fresh. We don’t want to burn them out a week before playoffs.”

Guthrie said the winner of the tournament will be decided by which team is hitting well in a league where pitching often takes the spotlight. Guthrie said Spring Valley, River Falls and Hudson are three teams that have a good shot at bringing home the title.