HOENE HEROICS: St. Anthony's Will Hoene helps send Bulldogs to sectional with walk-off hit in the 12th

May 21—BROWNSTOWN — Will Hoene needed the game to be over.

A senior on the St. Anthony baseball team, Hoene had his high school graduation commencement at 5 p.m.

The only problem was that the first baseman was still playing a baseball game against National Trail Conference foe Altamont two hours before in Brownstown for a regional championship — a game many felt would never end.

Until it did.

Twelve innings later.

After Eli Levitt retired the Altamont side in order in the top of the 12th, Max Koenig started the bottom of the frame with a single on the first pitch from Ethan Robbins.

Brock Jansen then grounded out, pushing Koenig to second and Hoene provided the heroics, lacing a base hit up the middle that scored Koenig to give St. Anthony a dramatic 6-5 victory and vault the top-seeded Bulldogs into the sectional semifinals.

"First pitch I see that's available, smoke it," said Hoene on his approach. "End the game."

Head coach Tony Kreke felt the same way, too.

"To win it. There's no other way to put it," said Kreke on what he was thinking when Hoene dug into the box. "He wanted that situation."

Hoene finished the game with two hits in five trips. He also drew one walk, scored one run and received one celebratory ice bath after the game.

"I'm freaking freezing. I can't feel my arms," said Hoene smiling after getting drenched with ice water.

All of that was necessary, too, as the season was on the line much sooner than the 12th, as St. Anthony only had three outs to work with and two runs to score in the ninth.

After tying the game in the sixth, the Indians took a 5-3 lead in the top of the ninth.

Nathan Shephard and Mason Robinson hit back-to-back singles. Both then stole third and second and Jared Hammer gave Altamont the lead with an RBI knock to right field while a deafening crowd behind the visiting dugout celebrated with them.

That applause only continued to rise, though.

Following the RBI single, Hammer then stole second base before Robinson scored after Nathan Stuemke laid down a perfectly-placed bunt that allowed him to reach first safely.

Keinon Eirhart then drew a walk, but Levitt regrouped, retiring the next three batters to end the inning.

Bulldogs' center fielder Beau Adams said his team felt "demoralized" after the top of the ninth, too, until catcher Connor Roepke provided some words of wisdom.

"The whole team was demoralized whenever we got down, but when we got back in the dugout, Connor gave us some motivational words and we know it's never over until it's over," Adams said. "We've been saying that since Day 1."

That statement, though cliché, worked.

St. Anthony scored twice in the bottom of the ninth to tie the game.

Jansen started the frame with a walk. Hoene then came up with his first hit and Ryan Schmidt drew a walk.

Adams then flew out before Levitt grounded into a fielder's choice.

Fearday then hit a slow-rolling grounder right back to the pitcher's mound, but a subsequent error allowed the tying run to cross.

Levitt would then cruise after that, retiring the next nine batters in a row to lead to the walk-off.

Hoene made sure to credit his pitching staff after the game.

"It starts with our pitching staff. They're a bunch of bulldogs out there," he said. "You know you'll get your best from Brock, Eli, Brock Jansen — anybody you put out there. They're going to give it their best and whenever they get down, they're going to bear down."

That relentless nature is also how Kreke describes his team overall, not just his pitching staff.

"Nobody can take us out of the game," Kreke said. "I'm very proud of how these guys compete. We expect to win; that's confidence and removing all doubt."

While there is never much doubt in their minds, when St. Anthony and Altamont meet, there is always some concern to a certain degree.

But that's how any rivalry game goes.

"Anytime you play Altamont, it will always be a dog fight," Kreke said.

"It's hard to describe," Levitt added. "The game is just so tense all the time, every game we play. It's always close and it's never a blowout."

Saturday was just another chapter in the history books.

Both teams ended the game with an equal number of hits (nine) and errors (three).

Aside from Hoene, Schmidt had three hits to lead the team. Adams hit a three-run triple in the second to give St. Anthony its first lead, 3-2, and Roepke and Aiden Lauritzen joined Koenig with one hit.

Levitt went 0-for-5 at the plate.

He said he isn't worried about his offense moving forward, though.

"I need to start figuring it out at the plate, but it'll come — hits are contagious; I'm not too worried about it right now," Levitt said.

Fearday started the game for St. Anthony, pitching 6 2/3 innings and allowing six hits, three runs (one earned) and one walk with five strikeouts.

"They have some really good hitters and I was trying to get them out with weak contact, but they're good hitters and will get their hits," Fearday said.

Hammer and Dillan Elam each had two hits for the Indians, while Eli Miller and Eirhart joined Robinson, Stuemke and Shephard with one.

Robinson started the game on the mound and allowed four hits, three runs and four walks to 13 strikeouts over seven innings.

Robinson described the Altamont baseball program the same way he described the basketball program — with one word.

"Family," Robinson said. "Everyone's always got each other's backs. When I was turning the ball over to Dillan, I knew I had all the confidence in the world for him and he had all the confidence that I would have his back on defense. So, it's just a brotherhood and a family and something that I'll never forget."

Contact EDN Sports Editor Alex Wallner at 618-510-9231 or alex.wallner@effinghamdailynews.com.