DONNELLSON- Good defense wins games. For the Central Lee Hawks, bad defense helps you lose games. That’s exactly what they had Friday night at home against Burlington Notre Dame when they lost 6-1.

Central Lee was only charged with one error, but they made plenty of mistakes in the infield and outfield that cost them. The first play of the game was a popup hit by Burlington Notre Dame to the shortstop. The ball dropped allowing a baserunner. Later in the inning Kyler Cameron recorded an RBI on a groundout giving Burlington Notre Dame a 1-0 lead. After a pair of walks, Hank Humphrey singled to right field scoring two and extending the lead to 3-0.

Central Lee would get one run back in the bottom of the first when Gage VanAusdall singled past the shortstop scoring Ward Fraise. CLHS loaded the bases with one out but couldn’t put up a crooked number.

In the top of the second, Burlington Notre Dame scored three runs extending the lead. With one out and one on, Landry Haberichter tripled to center field making it 4-1 A wild pitch by the Hawks scored Haberichter for a 5-1 lead. After another dropped flyball by CLHS and an error by the shortstop, Burlington Notre Dame was up 6-1 after the inning. Central Lee head coach Shane Weirather isn’t sure what happened to his defense in the first two innings.

“We misplayed a few flyballs,” Weirather said. “We needed to be a little more prepared. I really don’t know what was going on. By my count we probably left 10 outs in the first two innings. It’s really hard to keep a team from scoring when that happens. We need to play better behind our pitchers.”

With the loss, Central Lee’s conference race gets much tighter in the Southeast Iowa Super South standings with Mediapolis at the top and Central Lee and Burlington Notre Dame battling for second. Weirather admits the team could’ve been nervous trying to keep their distance from Burlington Notre Dame.

“I guess it could’ve been a factor,” he said. “Unfortunately, we weren’t able to make the play when it happened. They put pressure on us to make those plays. They’re a good team. We could’ve played them closer than we did.”

After the second inning the game calmed down, and both pitchers started to settle in. Central Lee’s Caedon Newton and Blake Davis were able to pitch scoreless innings the rest of the way. Weirather was pleased with the pitching staff overall.

“Newton was under control and doing his job,” he said. “He could’ve got out of the jams with no runs. With a little luck in our favor, this could’ve been a 1-0 game. It’s tough to start against a lineup like that.”

Newton pitched three innings allowing six hits, six runs, (five earned), two walks, while striking out one. Davis pitched four innings allowing one hit, one walk, while recording six strikeouts.

CLHS was outhit 7-4 with the Hawks committing the only error.

Fraise went 1-4 with one run scored. Davis was 1-3 with a walk. VanAusdall reached base twice with one hit, one walk, and an RBI. Wyatt Day reached base twice with a hit and a walk.

The Hawks drop to (7-3) on the season as they traveled to Hillcrest Academy to play Keokuk at noon on Saturday.