Luke Gallet, Tracer Brown lead Dwight to win over Cissna Park

CISSNA PARK — Luke Gallet and Tracer Brown delivered key hits to ignite a late rally that lifted Dwight to an 11-5 victory over host Cissna Park in a nonconference baseball game Wednesday.

The Trojans were down 4-2 entering the sixth inning. The first two batters were retired before Tyler Cox singled to start the comeback. Jack Duffy was hit by a pitch and Dawson Carr walked to load the bases.

The Timberwolves made a pitching change and Gallet greeted the new hurler with a base hit on the first pitch that plated all three runners. Joey Starks then singled and Brown delivered a two-run double as the Trojans took a 7-4 lead.

Dwight added four runs in the seventh inning with Terry Wilkey delivering the big blow. Three walks loaded the bases to lead off the inning. Wilkey then cleared the bases with a double, making it 10-4. Wilkey scored one out later when Gallet singled.

Gallet began his hot day at the plate in the first inning with a two-base knock that scored Duffy, who was plunked by a pitch to start the game. Brown also double in the frame to score Gallet for a 1-0 lead.

Cissna Park scored a run in the bottom of the first and then took a two-run lead with a three-run fourth inning.

Gallet had three hits, including a double and drove in five runs to lead the Dwight (4-7) offense. Brown collected two doubles and three runs batted in while Duffy had a double and two RBIs. Starks checked in with three hits, Cox had two safeties and Drew Anderson singled.

Brown got the win in relief after yielding four unearned runs and two walks in four innings. He struck out seven. Anderson got the start and went the first three frames. He gave up a run, two hits and six walks while fanning one.

EPG 7, Dee-Mack 1

MACKINAW — A balanced offense and Mac Raymer's pitching led El Paso-Gridley to a 7-1 victory over Deer Creek-Mackinaw in Heart of Illinois Conference baseball Wednesday.

Raymer did his part in picking up the win by not allowing an earned run in six innings. He gave up three hits and two walks while striking out nine. Mitchell Wilson closed it out with a scoreless seventh inning despite walking three. He fanned two.

The offense put up runs in four of the seven innings the Titans batted. It started in the second when EPG pushed across the game's initial tally. Caden Deckard doubled to lead off the inning and then scored when Wilson followed with a two-base hit to make it 1-0.

Back-to-back base hits provided the Titans' second run in leading off the third inning. Brady Veselack singled and took second on an error on the play. Mason Vandegraft then singled to plate Veselack to make it 2-0. Vandegraft scored with two outs when Deckard reached on a dropped third strike for a 3-0 advantage.

Dee-Mack got its run in the fourth inning but EPG responded with three markers in the top of the fifth.

Like the third inning, Veselack and Vandegraft led off the fifth with base hits. Raymer followed for the third straight single to load the bases. A wild pitch allowed Veselack to score and another wild pitch plated Vandegraft. Deckard lofted a sacrifice fly to drive in Conlee Landrus, the courtesy runner for Raymer.

Landon Foster led off the EPG sixth with a two-base hit. He scored on a wild pitch.

Vandegraft had two hits and run batted in and Veselack had two hits for the Titans (6-5). Wilson doubled and drove in a run and Deckard and Foster each doubled and Raymer singled.

GCMS 6, Lexington 4

LEXINGTON — Gibson City-Melvin-Sibley turned four unearned runs into a 6-4 victory over host Lexington in a Heart of Illinois baseball game at Keller Park Wednesday.

Two runs scored on an error in the sixth inning that gave the Falcons a 6-2 lead. GCMS loaded the bases with one out but a comebacker was misplayed that allowed the two runs to score.

The Minutemen tried to rally in the bottom of the sixth. Hayden Sennett delivered a two-run single with two outs to cut the deficit back to two. Braeden Barber singled and Drake Powell doubled with one out before scoring on the Sennett hit.

GCMS grabbed a short-lived one-run lead in the top of the first inning but Lexington got it back in the bottom of the frame. Kayden Knight doubled with one out and scored when Nolan Bowles followed with a single.

A two-run double gave the Falcons a 3-1 lead in the third. LHS scored in the last of the inning. Blaine Friedmansky singled with one out and scored on a two-out double from Bowles.

The Falcons added a run in the fourth inning for a 4-2 lead.

Bowles had a double, single and drove in two runs for the Minutemen (3-8). Sennett also had two hits two RBIs while Powell and Knight each doubled. Friedmansky, Barber and Camden Hardman each singled.

Michael Olson took the loss after allowing six runs (two earned), 11 hits and one walk while striking out two in six innings. Powell finished up with two punch outs in one inning of relief.

Lexington 9, GCMS 8

LEXINGTON — Makayla Ziegler delivered the game-winner with a walk-off base hit to lead Lexington-Ridgeview to a 9-8 extra-inning Heart of Illinois Conference softball victory over Gibson City-Melvin-Sibley Wednesday at Keller Park.

Ella Sunday doubled with one out to get things going in the bottom of the eighth for the Minutemen. Eleana Atkins followed with a two-base hit and Sunday was held up at third. Ziegler then delivered a single to left that scored Sunday with the game-winner and ended the game.

GCMS scored first with a pair of runs in the top of the first inning. Atkins doubled with one out in the Lexington first. Ziegler singled to put runners on the corners and Atkins scored on a Mackenzie Wesson base knock.

Atkins scored again in the third inning to tie the game at 2-2. Atkins scored on a wild pitch with Allison Epley at the plate.

After spotting the Falcons run in the top of the fourth, Lexington-Ridgeview scored five times in the bottom of the frame for a 7-3 lead.

Josie Thomas reached on a dropped third strike to get things rolling. Sunday singled two outs later to plate Thomas with the tying run. Wesson singled with the bases loaded to drive in Wesson and Atkins with the go-ahead markers. Ziegler scored when Epley reached on an error and Wesson stole home for the final tally.

GCMS tied it with four runs in the fifth inning but Lexington-Ridgeview got one run in the last half of the frame. Grace Grimsley led off with a base hit and scored two batters later on a passed ball. The Falcons tied it again in the sixth with a run.

Grace Getty got the win in relief for the Minutemen (5-6). She allowed a run, five hits and one walk while striking out four in four innings. Belle Payne went the first four innings, giving up eight runs (five earned) and nine hits. She fanned one.

Wesson had three hits and three RBIs in pacing the Lexington-Ridgeview offense. Ziegler had two hits and a two RBIs and Atkins had two doubles and scored four times. Sunday had a double, single and run batted in while Emilee Bratcher doubled. Epley and Grimsley each singled.

This article originally appeared on Pontiac Daily Leader: Luke Gallet, Tracer Brown lead Dwight to win over Cissna Park