Split decision:

The Grafton High School baseball team went 2-2 last week as it continues to show improvement.

In a wood-bat tournament on Saturday, the Black Hawks defeated New Berlin Eisenhower, 4-3, before losing to Menomonee Falls, 10-4, in the title game.

Against Eisenhower, Grafton scored three runs in the second inning. Jake Garncarz had a two-run single, and Jack Pawlek singled home another run.

In the fifth, Lucas Gosewehr had an RBI groundout to round out the Hawks’ scoring.

Ian Welton started on the mound for the Hawks and went the distance, striking out three while allowing no walks.

“It’s a huge boost for the team to get that kind of start and not have to use any other pitchers,” Grafton coach Brian Durst said.

It was the Hawks’ third of four games in a three-day stretch.

Against Menomonee Falls, the Hawks scored all their runs in the fourth.

Matthew Tietz hit an RBI double, and Sam Bulgrin had an RBI single. Colin Indermuehle and Garncarz had RBI fielder’s choices.

Josh Merkle pitched three solid innings, allowing a two-run homer in the third, Durst said.

Adam Schnell pitched a clean fourth inning, and Indermuehle worked his way through trouble “and showed some real promise,” Durst said.

The game was called in the seventh inning due to darkness.

Last Friday, the Hawks used solid pitching from sophomore Jacob Aleknavicius and clutch hitting to beat Cedarburg, 3-2, in a North Shore Conference home game.

Aleknavicius went five innings for the win and was pulled due to pitch count. Merkle pitched a clean sixth inning and Pawlek got the save by pitching the seventh.

Pawlke walked three but struck out two and got a fly out to record his second save in as many tries.

“It was getting exciting. We have a lot of confidence in Jack,” Durst said.

The Hawks scored twice in the first inning after two outs. After three walks loaded the bases, Gosewehr had a two-run single.

In the second, Garncarz hustled for a two-out double on a shallow fly down the right-field line. When he stole third base, a throw got away, allowing him to score.

“It’s just an exciting example of what he can do as a game changer with his speed,” Durst said.

In a road game against Homestead lon May 31, the Hawks lost, 13-3.

They stranded 11 runners in five innings.

Grafton batters had only had three hits but walked nine times and were hit by two pitches. “The difference was that Homestead was able to drive their runs in and we weren’t,” Durst said.

Zach Brandenburg pitched 3-1/3 innings for Grafton, and Zach Merkle went 1-1/3.

Homestead scored in every inning.

“They hit the ball extremely well, and they’ve got a deep lineup,” Durst said.

This week, the Hawks (2-1 in the conference and 4-3 overall) were scheduled to host West Bend East on Tuesday and Kewaskum on Thursday. They will play road games against Nicolet on June 11 and West Bend

West on June 12. All games are at 5:30 p.m.