The wind was blowing out Wednesday, June 17, at Jim Turner Field in Williamsburg.

Mount Vernon senior Hayden Gookin didn’t need any of that breeze. She cranked out a three-run home run in the third inning, and a two-run blast in the fifth, and No. 4 Mount Vernon beat No. 1 Williamsburg 5-3 in the first game of a WaMaC doubleheader.

The Raiders won the second game, 5-1.

The first home run was a line drive to left-center and the second a high-arcing blast to center field. It was clear Gookin had eaten her Wheaties. Or something.

“I’m superstitious,” Gookin said. “I eat the same thing every game day. So I had steak and eggs for lunch, then I had my yogurt bowl, and then ground turkey and cottage cheese for dinner. Same thing every day.”

Well, probably stick with that.

The future Hawkeye was also sharp on the mound in the opener, limiting the top-ranked Raiders to seven hits while striking out six.

“Hayden is a competitor,” Mount Vernon coach Robin Brand said. “I think, all these guys, their first thought is ‘what can I do for the team?’ Any given night, anyone in our lineup can go off. Tonight was Hayden’s night.”

Williamsburg struck first in the first inning when Ava Hocker reached on a bunt single, stole second, and advanced to third on a wild pitch. She came home on a fly ball to center field by Taylor Sanchez.

Raider pitcher Jersey Metz didn’t allow a hit until the third inning. No. 9 hitter Courtney Thurn reached on an error, then leadoff hitter Sophia Patten singled. That set up Gookin.

“I’m proud of my teammates for having runners on,” Gookin said. “Otherwise, I just hit two solo home runs, and Williamsburg would’ve scored more runs. So I’m really proud of my team being on base, so I can get more RBIs in.”

Williamsburg tied the game up again in the fourth inning, using an error, then an RBI single by Sanchez, and an RBI double by Harper Meyers to make it 3-3.

So in the top of the next inning, Patten singled and came home on the second homer.

“It felt great,” Gookin said. “My bat has been lacking, I feel like. I made some changes yesterday in my swing. It was good to see them work today.”

But sweeps in the WaMaC can be tough.

The Raiders used a four-run fourth-inning in the nightcap to break a 1-1 tie. The Mustangs scored when Kinley Nissen singled in Gookin.

But Williamsburg’s second pitcher, Kaylin Becker limited the Mustangs to four hits with only two strikeouts.

Mount Vernon freshman Kinley Nissen almost matched her and struck out eight. But for one bad inning when the Raiders had three of their five hits, and also used an error and a double steal.

“(Kinley) did her job,” Brand said. “She has improved in every aspect of her game.”

And a split with the three-time defending 3A champs, certainly ain’t nothing to sneeze at.

“I’m happy with a split right now,” Brand said. “It is always fun to come here and compete.”

The Mustangs opened the week with a split with No. 5 (4A) Clear Creek Amana at Van Metre Family Softball Complex. Winning 2-0 and losing 9-1.

Gookin pitched a 5-hitter in the opener, striking out seven. Lucy Wischmeyer hit 2-for-2 with a triple and an RBI, and Patten hit 2-for-3.

In the second game, CCA piled up 15 hits.

After going 2-2, the Mustangs were first in the WaMaC East at 10-2, two games up on second-place West Delaware.

Mount Vernon finished the week with a road trip to the Roland-Story Kiwanis Tournament on Friday, June 19, and Saturday, June 20.

The Mustangs beat No. 11 (3A) Clear Lake, 4-0, and South Hamilton, 21-3, on Friday.

Then beat Estherville-Lincoln Central 16-2 before falling to ADM, the No. 1 team in 4A, 3-0.

Against Clear Lake Gookin pitched a 2-hitter, striking out 14.

ADM pitcher Lauren Hegedorn limited the Mustangs to four hits, striking out nine. Nissen hit a double.

Mount Vernon is 20-4 overall, with the four losses coming to Top 5 teams.

“The only teams we’ve lost to are high-quality teams,” Brand said.

GAME 1

Mount Vernon 003 020 0 — 5 5 3

Williamsburg 100 200 0 — 3 7 2

Hayden Gookin and Brynlee Bettcher; Jersey Metz and Cora Foster. W – Gookin. L – Metz. 2B – Harper Meyers (W), Madde Gorsh (W). HR – Hayden Gookin 2 (MV).

GAME 2

Mount Vernon 000 100 0 — 1 4 3

Williamsburg 100 400 x — 5 5 1

Kinley Nissen and Brynlee Bettcher; Kaylin Becker and Lilly Ness. W – Becker. L – Nissen. 2B