By John RittenhouseThe Hills Thunder picked up some momentum heading into the Gopher League Playoffs by winning two of their final three games of the regular season.Hills nipped Windom by two runs in a wild game in Windom Wednesday, July 9.The Thunder dropped a nine-run decision to league champion Spencer, Iowa, in Hills Sunday before posting a three-run win in Bancroft, Iowa, Sunday night.Hills, 5-14 overall, opened the playoffs in Luverne Wednesday night. A win against the Redbirds would set up a Hills-Wilmont game in Wilmont Friday. A loss would place the Thunder in the tournament’s loser’s bracket, where they would play a game Sunday against a team at a site to be determined.Hills 4, Bancroft 1A solid pitching performance by Chad Rauk led the Thunder to a three-run victory Sunday in Bancroft.Rauk, who received some early run-support from his teammates, blanked Bancroft through the first six innings.The hosts produced a single run against Rauk in the bottom of the seventh, but it wasn’t enough to spoil his three-strikeout, two-walk effort.Hills plated a pair of runs in the first and second innings of the game to give its pitcher all the runs he needed to become a winner.Eric Harnack slapped an RBI single and Scott Harnack singled and scored on a passed ball to give Hills a 2-0 cushion in the top of the first.Rauk singled home a run and scored on a passed ball in the second to make it 4-0.Box score AB R H BIRauk 3 2 1 1S.Harnack 3 1 1 0E.Harnack 3 0 2 1Van Maanen 3 0 0 0Funke 2 0 0 0C.Harnack 3 0 0 0Top 3 0 0 0Jellema 3 0 0 0Forshey 2 1 0 0Spencer 10, Hills 1Spencer spoiled Hills’ home finale by besting the Thunder by nine runs on its home field Sunday afternoon.The visitors scored four runs in the first five innings and put the game out of reach by scoring a combined six runs in the sixth and seventh frames.Hills’ lone run came in the bottom of the fifth inning.The Thunder loaded the bases with Justin Van Maanen getting hit by a pitch, Wade Jellema slapping a single and David Top reaching base on an error.Scott Harnack drew a walk to force home Van Maanen with a run that made the score 4-1 at the time.George Krenz pitched the first five and two-thirds innings for Hills and took the loss. He fanned five batters and walked four.Rauk pitched one and one-third innings of relief, walking two batters and striking out one.Spencer limited Hills to two hits offensivley. Rauk singled in the fourth inning before Jellema singled in the fifth.Box score AB R H BIS.Harnack 2 0 0 1Rauk 3 0 1 0Funke 3 0 0 0E.Harnack 3 0 0 0Van Maanen 2 1 0 0Jellema 2 0 1 0Top 2 0 0 0Krenz 3 0 0 0Forshey 1 0 0 0Hills 13, Windom 11The Thunder came out on the winning end of a two-run decision in a wild game played in Windom July 9.Neither team could produce a run in the first three innings of play, but the squads scored a combined 24 runs before the ninth inning was complete.Hills opened the scoring by plating seven runs in the top of the fourth inning before adding another counter in the fifth to gain an 8-0 cushion.Jellema and Cade Lang slapped RBI singles to highlight Hills’ seven-run fourth inning. Van Maanen picked up an RBI with a fielder’s choice, and Scott Harnack was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded to force home a run. The other three runs in the frame were unearned.Lang delivered an RBI single in the fifth to make it 8-0.Windom got back into the game by scoring two runs in the bottom of the fifth and four in the sixth to trail 8-6.Both teams scored two runs in the seventh inning and three runs in the eighth inning to cap the scoring.Lang and Eric Harnack slapped RBI singles in the seventh for Hills.Eric Harnack singled home two runs and another Hills player scored on a wild pitch in the eighth.Top pitched six and one-third innings to record the victory. He allowed eight runs and five walks while fanning six batters. Rauk worked the final two and two-thirds innings to record a save. He recorded four strikeouts while allowing two walks and three runs.Box score AB R H BIJ.Lang 3 3 1 0C.Lang 4 1 3 3S.Harnack 3 1 1 1E.Harnack 4 0 2 3Sammons 5 1 1 0Funke 5 1 3 0Rauk 5 0 0 0Van Maanen 4 2 0 1Jellema 3 4 2 1
