FORCED OUT — North Union catcher Carter Morphew steps on home plate to force out West Hancock runner Cayson Barnes during Top of Iowa Conference baseball action Monday night at Bancroft Memorial Field in Bancroft, Iowa. (Photo by Greg Abel)

BANCROFT — One bad inning sank the Warriors.

The West Hancock Eagles beat North Union 13-2 in a six-inning run-rule shortened Top of Iowa Conference baseball game Monday night at Bancroft Memorial Field.

The Eagles entered the fifth inning leading 3-1, then West Hancock went to work.

Rylan Barnes started the inning with a walk, then stole second before Braden Walk singled up the middle, nearly hitting Warrior starting pitcher Jay Heinen, for an RBI. Walk then stole second before Levi Eckels dropped his third single of the night into short right field to put runners on first and second.

Walk and Eckels pulled off a double steal before Jackson Johnson walked to load the bases, leading to a pitching change.

Blake Hinston walked in a run, then Cayson Barnes grounded into a fielder’s choice to bring in a run before Mathew Francis connected on a line-drive triple to right center to bring in two runs. Two hits later, the Eagles had scored seven runs and built a 10-1 advantage.

West Hancock added three more runs on three walks, a hit and a hit batter in the sixth to create the game-ending lead.

“The results obviously weren’t very good,” North Union head coach Royce Byrnes said. “We played these guys a couple of weeks ago and lost by one … this is definitely a team we should be able to play with, not a team we should be getting 10-runned by. I’ve told these guys all year, it all comes down to pitching. … We’re short on arms and if you can’t throw strikes, this is how it’s going to end up.”

The Warriors scored their first run in the third.

Heinen led off the inning reaching base when he was hit by a pitch, then Evan Bollinger hit a ground ball to force an error, putting runners on first and second.

After a sacrifice bunt moved Heinen and Bollinger to third and second, respectively, Luke Schmidt was hit by a pitch to load the bases and Logan Odegaard sent a fly ball to deep left field for a sacrifice fly.

The Warriors added another run in the fifth.

Heinen led off the home half of the frame with a single single to left, then Kegan Boland was hit by a pitch and Schmidt singled to short center to load the bases.

Odegaard walked to bring in the Warriors second run with his second RBI.

North Union left the bases loaded three times, each time loading them with one out.

“We left 13 guys on base,” Byrnes said. “We’ve just got to find a way to drive one guy in. We’ve got to put the ball in play. I talked to the guys, we need to change our approach with guys on base. You aren’t trying to kill the ball, just trying to get the bat on the ball and make them make a play. More often than not, you’re going to get a run out of that. We can’t be striking out with the bases loaded and we did a few times tonight.”

Heinen pitched four innings for the Warriors, allowing six runs on three walks and six hits, while striking out five. Ryan Haukoos pitched the next frame, allowing four runs on four walks and three hits. Levi Vaske pitched the final inning, allowing no runs on one hit and one hit batter.

Cayson Barnes pitched the first five innings for the Eagles, allowing two runs on two hits, six walks and five hit batters, while striking out seven.

Caeden Harle came on for the final inning and forced a groundout, a flyout and a strikeout.

North Union (0-12) goes to Manly, Iowa, for a 7:30 p.m. game against Central Springs on Thursday.

West Hancock (4-10) plays host to North Iowa at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday.

WH 201 073 — 13 10 2

NU 001 010 — 2 2 2

Cayson Barnes (WP), Caeden Harle (6) and Mathew Francis. Jay Heinen (LP), Ryan Haukoos (5), Levi Vaske (6) and Carter Morphew, Kegan Boland (5).

LOB–NU 13, WH 8. 3B–Mathew Francis (WH). SAC–Kegan Boland (NU). SF–Logan Odegaard (NU).