Once Hiawatha stopped committing errors, South Beloit stopped scoring runs, and the rout was on in the Northeastern Athletic Conference game.

The Hawks committed four errors in the first two innings, leading to four unearned runs for the Sobos. They only committed one in the final two innings, holding South Beloit scoreless to pull away for a 19-4 win at NIU on Thursday.

“Errors have been a big part of the season so far,” said Hiawatha starter Colby Wylde, who got the win and allowed no earned runs in the four-inning complete game. “As you see, as long as we don’t put those errors up, we can be the best team.”

The Hawks (3-4 overall, 3-1 conference) took the lead for good in the bottom of the second. Aaron Jindrich bunted for a single. Tim Pruitt moved up to third and then scored when third baseman Jayce Schroeber misplayed the ball. That put the Hawks up 5-3, and they pushed the lead to 6-3 when Bentley Payne scored on another error by Schroeber.

Payne went 3 for 3 and two RBIs, helping the Hawks sweep the two-game series from the Sobos (4-5-1, 3-2-1). Hiawatha won in South Beloit 11-9 on Monday thanks to an eight-run sixth inning.

It’s also the third win in a row for the Hawks after four losses to start the year under first-year coach Dedric Wright.

“Hopefully we just keep moving forward,” Payne said. “Next one’s on the way hopefully. We’re leaving that start behind us and moving on.”

Payne, batting in the cleanup spot Thursday, has been excellent with two-strike counts this year, Wright said. He drew a walk the only time he faced a two-strike count on Thursday.

“Last game he drove in some big runs. This game he drove in some big runs,” Wright said. “Hitting in that four-hole he’s done a really good job this year.”

The Hawks committed one error in the third, an errant pickoff throw by Wylde. But catcher Hunter Ziegler threw a runner out trying to steal earlier in the inning, and the Sobos were unable to score.

The Hawks exploded for eight runs in the bottom of the third, with Wylde hitting his second double of the game and scoring for the second time.

He continued the momentum in the top of the fourth, allowing just a walk but keeping the ball in the infield as the Sobos went scoreless again.

The Hawks walked it off with a five-run fourth, capped by a single by Kolby Rasmus that brought home Maksim Kelly, who had singled home two runs the at-bat before.

“The players just have confidence that we can come out and win games,” Wright said. “As we keep winning games, that confidence is going to keep going up for them.”

Jindrich had three hits and scored twice for the Hawks. Ziegler and Kelly drove in three runs. Aidan Cooper scored three times.

Wylde allowed four unearned runs, three walks and three hits. He struck out three. He also went 2 for 4 with three RBIs and scored twice.

Wright said Wylde is having an outstanding year as the Hawks’ ace, and when the defense plays like it did the last two innings, the team is capable of winning big like it did Thursday.

“That’s what I tell them. If we play clean games, our games are going to be quick,” Wright said. “Even games we lost, we gave up a lot of errors and other teams were capitalizing, and we weren’t able to come back. I think with the exception of one game, we’ve had the lead. So we just have to keep working on defense.”