It was an all-around exciting afternoon for the opening of district baseball and softball Tuesday in Hartland.
A little too hot, though, if you asked the Eagles.
That played a part in Hartland wrapping things up early on both fields. Hartland baseball roughed up Fenton, 10-0 in a five-inning mercy, and the softball team cruised to a 7-1 win over Fenton, keyed by a no-hitter by Abbie Minsker.
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In the fifth inning of the baseball game, junior Jake Jessen hit a two-run home run to finish off the Tigers (13-20-1).
“It was basically a walk-off,” said Jessen, who was also the winning pitcher. “It made me feel good. I was really tired. I just wanted to get the game over. It’s hot out here.”
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Hartland blew the game open in the second inning, scoring six runs.
“We put some good swings together early in the game,” Hartland coach Brian Morrison said. “We came out and we were able to take care of business.”
Jessen finished with five strikeouts and credits his teammates in the win.
“They played good defense in the infield,” he said. “Without them, I wouldn’t have gotten out of some of those innings.”
The Eagles (27-2) have a date with Lakeland (13-16) at 9 a.m. Saturday in Hartland. Milford (14-14) plays Holly (11-14) at 12:30 p.m. and the championship is at 2 p.m.
Hartland softball got a big two-run single from senior captain Kayla Gustitus in the third inning and a two-run triple by freshman Hannah Greene in the sixth.
“We got key hits at the right times to produce runs,” Hartland coach Carl Gabrielson said. “They helped us out by making some errors. I tell the girls, if you get the opportunity, don’t waste it and we didn’t.”
Minsker, a sophomore and team captain, had 10 strikeouts. She hit one batter, but didn’t allow a walk.
Hartland (27-4) faces Lakeland (30-7), which was the 2010 Division 1 runner-up, on Saturday at 12:30 p.m. Milford (10-22) plays Holly (1-16) at 9 a.m. The title game is at 2 p.m.
“It’s going to be a fun game,” Gabrielson said. “It’s going to be packed here. I think they looked past us the first time.”
Hartland beat Lakeland, 11-3, in a KLAA Lakes Conference crossover game on April 15.
“I’m excited for Saturday,” Gustitus said. “We’ve worked hard all season. We’re excited. They’re a good team. It should be a good game on Saturday.”