Hiland baseball routs Garaway, edges Indian Valley in sweep

Hiland’s bats did more than win a game against Garaway. They announced that the Hawks still have the kind of depth and punch that can shape an Inter-Valley Conference race, rolling to a 14-1, six-inning victory and then following it with a tighter win over Indian Valley.

Against Garaway, Gerut Monigold set the tone with three hits, including two doubles, four RBIs and two runs scored. Grady Monigold matched the power impact with a double, a home run, four RBIs and a run scored. Christian Mullet added three runs scored and two RBIs, while Jonah Yoder, Damon Troyer and Carson Yoder also chipped in. The spread of production mattered as much as the final margin, because Hiland did not need one hitter to carry the afternoon.

The result over Garaway showed a lineup that can pressure an opponent from multiple spots. That is the kind of offensive balance that travels in league play, especially when a team is trying to build momentum against familiar conference rivals. Garaway never found a way to slow the barrage, and the game was decided in six innings.

The follow-up against Indian Valley carried a different message. Hiland had fallen 5-4 to the Braves on April 6, its first loss of the season, dropping the Hawks to 4-1 while Indian Valley moved to 5-0. A rematch was already on the calendar for April 8, and the later win gave Hiland a response after being edged the first time around. That kind of rebound matters in the IVC, where close games often decide more than a single night on the schedule.

The stretch also says something about where Hiland sits in Holmes County baseball right now. The Hawks have won consecutive Ohio state titles in 2024 and 2025, and their latest run suggests the program is still operating at a standard few schools can match. Garaway, Hiland, Indian Valley and Ridgewood remain at the center of the IVC South Division, even as the conference prepares for membership changes in 2028-29 after Claymont, Sandy Valley and Tusky Valley move on.

For Hiland, the takeaway is straightforward: the Hawks can beat a team with a blowout and then answer a rival in a tighter game. That combination is what separates a good early-season stretch from a team that can stay in the conversation all spring.