Landstrom deals and delivers in pacing Pontiac

Zechariah Landstrom did it all for Pontiac Wednesday afternoon. He didn't allow an earned run on the hill and homered at the plate in leading the Indians to a 15-3 victory over Peoria Christian in a baseball tilt at The Ballpark at Williamson Field.

Landstrom got the ball for the nonconference contest and ran into a bit of trouble in the first inning. He gave up a leadoff walk to Fisher and, one batter later, made an error on a pickoff throw that allowed the runner to move up. After stealing third, Fisher scored on a groundout.

The Chargers' 1-0 lead didn't hold long as the Indians scored five runs in the bottom of the first inning. Landstrom delivered a run-scoring double to cap the scoring in the frame.

Landstrom capped another five-run inning in the third for the Indians with a two-run homer to left.

On the bump, Landstrom was able to work around some Peoria Christian baserunners in the second inning, retired the side in order in the third and fourth frames before getting into a bit of a jam in the fifth frame.

Landstrom hit a batter, issued a walk and an error loaded the bases before Landstrom got a strikeout. This left the bases loaded with two outs. But a single, just the second safety for the Chargers, plated two runs.

Making life on the mound easier for Landstrom was being backed by an explosive offense.

Logan Barnett reached on an error that allowed Michael Kuska to score the tying run in the bottom of the first inning. Drew Wayman reached on an error two batters later as two more runs crossed the plate for a 3-1 lead. Zayn Eilts singled in Henry Brummel before Landstrom's two-base double plated Wayman, making it 5-1.

PTHS looked poised for a huge inning in the second but it was only able to score two runs. Camden Fenton led off by drawing a walk. An errant throw on a pickoff try allowed Fenton to scoot to third base. He scored on a Barnett sacrifice fly. Singles by Brummel and Wayman were followed by a walk to Eilts to load the bases.

A wild pitch allowed Brummel to score and Landstrom walked to reload the bases. Back-to-back strikeouts silenced the rally.

Pontiac's five-run outburst in the third inning came with two outs. Barnett doubled to get things rolling. Brummel also doubled to drive in Barnett and Wayman singled to put runners on the corners.

Eilts flared a single to left to score Brummel and Wayman, who had stolen second. Eilts was able to trot home on Landstrom's roundtripper.

A three-run fourth inning gave Landstrom and the Tribe a 15-1 advantage. Kuska singled with one out and scored on Fenton's triple to right. Brummel doubled with two outs to plate Fenton and Wayman's base knock drove in Brummel.

Wayman had three hits and three runs batted in while Brummel had a pair of doubles, a single, two runs batted in and scored four times for the Indians (7-4). Landstrom had a homer, double and three RBIs and Eilts collected two hits and three RBIs. Kuska had two hits and Fenton had a triple, drove in a run and scored three times. Barnett checked in with a double and RBI.

Landstrom got the win after going 4 2/3 innings in the five-inning contest. He gave up three unearned runs, two hits and three walks while striking out three. Fenton retired the only batter he faced to end the game.

Prairie Central 12, Hoopeston 3

HOOPESTON — An 11-run outburst lifted Prairie Central to a 12-3 victory over host Hoopeston Area in nonconference baseball Tuesday.

The bats seemed a little silent through five innings for the Hawks, who had registered a dozen runs in winning Monday at home. But come the sixth, and trailing 3-1, those bats awakened.

Camden Palmore led off the PC sixth by reaching on an error. Noah Nagel followed with a two-base hit that plated Palmore. Caden Addis followed suit with a two-base hit that scored Nagel with the tying run.

Walks to Gavin Tredenick and Carson Friedman loaded the bases before Evan Hartman singled to score Addis and Tredenick and give the Hawks a 5-3 lead.

JC Spence then singled to drive in Friedman and Connor Gibson singled as two more runs scored for an 8-3 lead. Easton Friedman reached on an error that allowed Gibson to score.

Palmore singled to reach for the second time in the inning and Nagel collected his second two-bagger in the frame that plated Easton Friedman and Palmore. Nagel scored on an Addis base hit for a 12-3 advantage.

Hartman got the Hawks on the board in the top of the second with a base hit that drove in Tredenick. The Cornjerkers took a 3-1 lead in the third with a trio of runs.

Nagel had a pair of doubles, a single and three runs batted in and Hartman had three hits and three RBIs to lead the Hawks (3-5). Addis had a double, single and drove in two runs while Spence and Gibson each recording a single and RBI. Palmore and Tredenick each singled.

Easton Friedman got the win in relief of starter A Hansen. Friedman walked three, allowed one hit and struck out two in two innings. Hansen yielded three unearned runs, one hit and two walks while fanning one in four innings. Carson Friedman finished up, giving up a single and striking out one in one inning.

Dwight 7, Midland 0

DWIGHT — Luke Gallet went the distance in tossing a four-hit shutout as Dwight garnered a 7-0 Tri-County Conference baseball win over Midland Tuesday at DTHS.

Gallet retired the Timberwolves in order to start the game and pretty much cruised the rest of the way. He retired 12 of the first 13 batters he faced through the first four innings. Where he ran into trouble was the sixth stanza when Midland loaded the bases with two outs. A fly out to Drew Anderson silenced the threat.

Midland threatened in the seventh by getting the first two batters on base. Gallet got out of it with a pop fly, a punch out and a line out.

The Trojans gave their hurler run support in the second inning when Terry Wilkey doubled to drive in Anderson with the first run. DTHS made it 2-0 in the third inning on back-to-back extra-base knocks.

Joey Starks doubled with one out and scored when Tracer Brown followed with a triple.

A five-run sixth inning provided more than enough insurance for Gallet. The Trojans loaded the bases with one out on a hit batter, base hit and error. Jack Duffy reached on a fielder's choice on his grounder to short that drove in Wilkey.

Another error allowed Evan Sandeno to score and Gallet helped himself with a home run with Duffy and Dawson Carr along for the ride.

For Dwight (3-7), Gallet had his three-run homer, Brown had a run-scoring triple and Wilkey had a double and run batted in. Starks doubled while Carr and Tyler Frauli each singled.

On the bump, Gallet scattered four hits, walked one and struck out eight in going the distance.

Softball

Dwight 17, Midland 0

DWIGHT — Madi Ely was nearly perfect in tossing a no-hitter for Dwight in its 17-0 drubbing of Midland in Tri-County Conference softball Tuesday.

Ely walked one, which came in the second inning. She hit a batter in the third and a third Timberwolf reached on a dropped third strike in the fourth.

Ely's run support came in droves beginning in the first inning. Erin Anderson, Megan Livingston and Taylor Heath walked to load the bases. Averi Jury followed with a base hit that scored Anderson and Livingston. Samantha Harsh singled and a miscue in the outfield allowed Heath and Jury to score.

Maci Johnson followed a walk to Avery Scheuer with a base hit that drove home Harsh with Scheuer scoring on an error on the play for a 6-0 lead. Johnson scored on a passed ball before Sarah Parker singled.

Heath led off the DTHS second with a triple but was thrown out trying to make it an inside-the-park homer. Jury followed with a base hit and wound up on second after an error. She scored on a wild pitch. Harsh, who had walked, scored on a wild pitch and Scheuer, who also walked, crossed the plate on a groundout as the lead grew to 10-0.

A seven-run third completed the Dwight scoring. Anderson and Livingston each singled and then scored on a Heath triple. Jury singled to drive in a run and Harsh doubled home a run to make it 14-0. Harsh scored on a wild pitch.

Scheuer and Johnson each scored on wild pitches for the final difference.

Jury collected three hits and three runs batted in and Heath had two triples and drove in two runs to lead the Dwight (6-3) offense. Harsh had a double, single and RBI and Anderson and Livingston each had two hits. Johnson had a hit and two RBIs and Parker singled.

This article originally appeared on Pontiac Daily Leader: Landstrom deals and delivers in pacing Pontiac to 15-3 win