May 10th 2026 The softball team from Hamilton Community Schools continued its impressive season on Saturday morning, capturing the Barn Burner Classic Championship for the second straight year after earning two big wins at South Side High School. The Lady Marines opened the day with a revenge victory over the Wayne Generals, defeating Wayne 9-2. Hamilton wasted no time getting the bats going, jumping out to a 4-0 lead in the top of the first inning. Wayne answered with two runs in the bottom half of the inning to cut the lead to 4-2, but the Marines quickly responded with five more runs in the top of the second inning to take control of the game for good. Marissa Mercer was dominant in the circle, pitching all five innings while allowing just seven hits and two runs while striking out four. Mercer also contributed at the plate, finishing 1-for-3 with an RBI and a run scored. Offensively, the Marines had contributions throughout the lineup. Tsumiya Sato added an RBI, while Haley Ellert went 1-for-3 with a run scored. Tristen Creager finished 1-for-3 with a walk, RBI, and run scored, while Karly Nester added a hit, run, and RBI. Skye Allen went 1-for-2 with a run, and Brenna Mercer finished 1-for-2 with a run scored. Gracie Meyers went a perfect 1-for-1 with a run and RBI, while Iley Dunakin drove in two runs for Hamilton. In the championship game, the Marines squared off with the South Side Archers in a high-scoring battle. Hamilton plated three runs in the bottom of the first inning before South Side responded with six runs in the top of the second to take a 6-3 lead. The Marines answered in a huge way, exploding for eight runs in the bottom of the second inning to reclaim momentum and take an 11-6 advantage. Hamilton continued to add insurance runs, scoring twice in the third inning and once more in the fourth to secure a 14-8 victory and the tournament title. Offensively, Haley Ellert went 1-for-3 with a run and RBI, while Tristen Creager crossed the plate twice. Marissa Mercer scored three runs, and Tsumiya Sato added another run scored. Karly Nester had a huge game at the plate, going 3-for-4 with two runs scored and three RBIs. Skye Allen finished 1-for-2 with a run and RBI, while Brenna Mercer added a hit, run, and RBI. Gianna Ceci scored twice and drove in a run, while Kristie Kuhn also scored for Hamilton. In the circle, the Mercer sisters combined for five innings pitched, allowing seven hits while recording three strikeouts. With the two victories, the Lady Marines were crowned Barn Burner Classic Champions for the second consecutive season. Hamilton returns to action this week with a Wednesday matchup at Angola, a Friday road contest at Elkhart Christian Academy, and Senior Day on Saturday at home against Elkhart Christian.