May 18th 2026 The Hamilton Community Schools softball and baseball programs wrapped up a busy weekend with a pair of high-scoring conference softball battles against Elkhart Christian Academy and a varsity baseball matchup against the Eagles on Friday night. Lady Marines Split Weekend Series with Eagles Friday night in Hoosier Plains Conference action, the Lady Marines traveled to Elkhart Christian for an offensive showdown that came down to the final inning. Hamilton jumped out early in the top of the 1st when Tsumiya Sato singled home Marissa Mercer before Haley Ellert added an RBI single to give the Marines a 2-0 lead. Elkhart Christian answered with three runs in the second and two more in the third to take a 5-3 advantage, but Hamilton’s bats erupted in the top of the 4th inning. The Marines plated eight runs in the frame behind RBI hits from Marissa Mercer, Haley Ellert, Tristen Creager, Lily Steigerwald, and Gianna Myers to surge ahead 11-5. Mercer stayed hot at the plate all evening, doubling and collecting multiple RBIs, while Haley Ellert delivered several clutch hits and Tristen Creager added an RBI single during the huge fourth inning. Hamilton extended the lead to 12-11 in the sixth when Mercer singled home Brenna Mercer. The Eagles continued battling back and eventually tied the game before walking it off in the bottom of the seventh on consecutive triples, handing Hamilton a heartbreaking 13-12 loss. Saturday afternoon the two teams met again in Hamilton for Senior Day as the Lady Marines honored six seniors: Skye Allen, Tristen Creager, Haley Ellert, Kristie Kuhn, Marissa Mercer, and Tsumiya Sato prior to first pitch. The Marines came out firing offensively, exploding for nine runs in the bottom of the 1st inning. Hamilton capitalized on walks, hit batters, aggressive baserunning, and timely hitting from Creager and Ellert to take complete control early. Ellert delivered an RBI single, Creager added a run-scoring hit and sacrifice fly, while Marissa Mercer also contributed a sacrifice fly RBI. The Marines added two more runs later in the game to build an 11-3 lead. Elkhart Christian mounted a late rally with four runs in the sixth and another in the seventh, but Hamilton was able to close the door and secure the 11-8 Senior Day victory. Marines Baseball Battles Eagles in Conference Matchup The Hamilton Community Schools varsity baseball team also traveled to Elkhart Christian Academy Friday evening for a Hoosier Plains Conference contest. Hamilton struck first in the opening inning when Cooper Leininger scored on a fielder’s choice by Dalen to give the Marines an early 1-0 lead. The Eagles answered quickly with a big first inning and continued to add runs in the second to take control of the game. Despite the deficit, the Marines continued competing offensively. In the top of the 3rd inning, Spencer Bredemeyer ripped an RBI single to score Cooper Leininger before senior Larsen Dilts followed with another RBI single to bring home Dalen. Hamilton finished with three runs on the night while battling against a strong Eagles lineup in the conference matchup. The busy weekend wrapped up another important stretch for Hamilton athletics as both softball and baseball continue closing out the regular season heading toward sectional play. The Lady Marines are back in action Wednesday for their final home game of the season as they host Bishop Luers High School with first pitch scheduled for 5:30pm. The varsity baseball team returns to action tonight as the Marines travel to Montpelier for a 5:15pm start.