The Hickory High School Hawks from Chesapeake ended the post-season for the Gloucester High School varsity Lady Dukes in the opening round of the Group AAA Eastern Region Softball Tournament last week.

On a scorching hot Memorial Day, the Hawks and Dukes battled through 10 innings before the Hawks finally won by a 4-0 margin. On the mound, Makayla Jenkins of Gloucester matched Hickory pitcher Amber Phillips, holding both teams scoreless until the Hawks rallied for four runs on one hit in the top of the 10th.

Jenkins gave up only six hits in 10 innings but the Dukes could not push a run across. Gloucester had runners in scoring position three times but could not get the key two-out hit they needed.

Amber Cook reached second base in the first inning for the Dukes and Gabby Zarichny advanced to second in the eighth, both times with two outs, but each time Phillips closed the door with strikeouts. Taylor Distefano reached second in the 10th after she was hit by a pitch but was also...