Pontiac Indians garner two wins in tourney play

WASHINGTON — Pontiac was going through a rough patch when it took to the field to face Barrington in the opening round of softball tournament play at Washington over the weekend. The Indians had lost four of their previous five games and were facing a Class 4A opponent in the traditionally tough event.

Thanks to Bailey Masching, PTHS was able to notch a walk-off win over Barrington. Then the Tribe topped Class 3A Maple Park (Kaneland) before suffering a tough loss to Class 4A East Moline (United).

Pontiac 6, Barrington 5

Masching capped a Pontiac rally that began in the first inning when the Fillies took a two-run lead before PTHS had a chance to bat. The Tribe trailed 5-4 when it batted in the last of the sixth inning, which was an extra inning.

India Mattingly was placed on second base to start the inning and Mackenzie Coates drew a walk. A sacrifice from Olivia Lindsay moved both runners up. Mattingly then scored the tying run on a bloop single by Cadence Helms. Coates stayed at second.

Tessa Collins reached on a bunt to load the bases and turn the lineup over. Masching came up after a strikeout. Masching slapped a single to center that plated Coates with the game-winner.

Masching's biggest hit might have been the home run she belted in the last of the fifth that forced the extra inning. Trailing 4-1, Helms led off the Pontiac fifth with a home run. Maddie Gourley walked with two outs and was on for the ride when Masching went yard to knot the game at 4-4.

Barrington touched Pontiac starter Elena Krause for two runs in the first inning and added a third in the second frame for a 3-0 lead. Krause settled in to get the win. She yielded four runs, six hits and four walks while striking out seven.

Masching had a homer, single and drove in three runs while Helms also had a homer and single while driving in two runs. Gourley, Krause, Makayla Metz and Collins each singled. Coates drove in a run.

Pontiac 5, Kaneland 2

Pontiac didn't need the dramatics in its second game on Friday. Although Metz allowed a run in the top of the first inning, she gave up just one more, which came in the last frame. In between, the Tribe tallied five markers for the 5-2 victory over the Knights.

Krause got the Indians going in the last of the fourth inning with a leadoff single. Mattingly singled with one out to put runners on the corners. Mattingly took second before Coates singled to drive Krause and Mattingly home with the tying and go-ahead runs. Coates scored three batters later on a groundout.

Masching led off the Pontiac fifth with a base hit and Krause followed with a roundtripper for a 5-1 lead.

Krause had a homer, single and drove in two runs to pace the Pontiac offense. Coates singled in two runs and Gourley, Masching and Mattingly each singled. Collins drove in a run.

Metz got the win in going the distance. She allowed two runs (one earned), four hits, two walks while striking out four.

East Moline 9, Pontiac 7

One bad inning did in the Indians against East Moline as the Tribe suffered a 9-7 loss to the Panthers Saturday.

Pontiac led 1-0 after Krause circled the bases for an inside-the-park homer in the bottom of the first inning. It stayed that way until the Panthers struck for eight runs in the fourth inning.

East Moline sent 12 batters to the plate that inning, including having the first eight reach base.

The Indians tried to rally wit ha run in the bottom of the fourth and then a five-run fifth frame to make it 8-7. Mattingly had a two-run single and Helms drove in the final run with a base hit. The Tribe left the tying run on second base.

East Moline added a run in the sixth but Pontiac's threat amounted to a two-out single from Krause, who was left stranded.

Metz took the loss in going the distance in the circle. She allowed nine runs (seven earned), 10 hits and four walks. She set down five on strikes.

Krause had a homer, single and RBI to pace the Pontiac (11-8) offense. Mattingly had a hit and drove in two runs while Helms had a hit and RBI. Gourley and Coates each singled while Lindsay drove in two runs.

Woodland 5, Prairie Central 0

FAIRBURY — Shae Simons allowed just two hits and one walk in pitching Woodland to a 5-0 victory over Prairie Central in a nonconference softball tilt Saturday at PCHS.

Simons yielded a triple with two outs in the first inning, a walk in the third and a two-out single in the sixth. She was backed up by a defense that did not commit an error and Simons struck out 10 in a dominating performance.

Although Dixie Hogan was as dominating for the Hawks, she was solid in the circle. Of the five runs the Warriors scored, only one was earned. She scattered seven hits and did not allow a free pass. The PC defense did commit five errors.

Woodland took a three-run lead in the third with the help of two errors. Two runs scored when Ella Derossett reached on an error. Cloee Johnston singled in the third tally.

Jaylei Leininger singled to lead off the Woodland fifth. She scored two batters later when Derossett singled for a 4-0 lead. A pair of errors led to run in the sixth. Leininger drove in Isabel Gwaltney with a two-out single.

Derossett had two hits and drove in three runs for the Warriors (11-6). Chismarick contributed a triple and single and Leininger had a pair of hits and drove in a run. Johnston had a hit and RBI.

Sam Slagel tripled and R Galloway singled for the Hawks (5-10).

Tolono 14, Prairie Central 4

FAIRBURY — On Friday, one big inning doomed Prairie Central as the Hawks dropped a 14-4 Illini Prairie Conference decision to Tolono (Unity).

The Rockets blasted off in the third inning, scoring nine runs of PC starter Dixie Hogan. Hogan yielded 10 hits and two walks while fanning one in 2 2/3 innings. Alexandria Hari came on with two outs in the third and pitched the fourth before giving way to Jules Woodrey. Hari gave up three unearned runs and three hits in 1 1/3 innings and Woodrey allowed two runs (one earned), one hit and one walk, to go with one punch out, in one inning.

The Hawks scored three runs in the last of the third. Lillie Hogan led off with two-base hit and Hari followed with a double that scored Hogan. Rylee Galloway also doubled as Hari scored. Lauren Hoselton drove Galloway home with a base knock.

PC missed an opportunity for more after the inning ended with the bases loaded. It came back to haunt the Hawks when Tolono scored three runs in the top of the fourth inning.

Galloway stroked a two-out triple that scored Lillie Hogan, who led off the inning with a base hit, for the Hawks' final tally.

Galloway had three extra base hits — a triple and two doubles — and drove in two runs for the Hawks. Lillie Hogan had a double and single while Hoselton had two hits and drove in a run. Hari had a double and RBI and Woodrey had a two-base hit.

Lexington-Ridgeview 5, Heyworth 4

LEXINGTON — Eleana Atkins stroked a one-out triple and Makayla Ziegler followed with a walk-off base hit as Lexington-Ridgeview edged Heyworth 5-4 in a Heart of Illinois Conference softball game Friday at Keller Park.

After spotting the Hornets two runs in the top of the first, the Mustangs chalked up two markers in the bottom fo the frame. With one out, Atkins was hit by a pitch before Ziegler doubled. Mackenzie Wesson then tripled two drive in Atkins and Ziegler with the tying runs.

Single runs in the second and fifth frames put Heyworth up 4-2. Lexington-Ridgeview got one back in the bottom of the fifth when Ziegler reached on an error that allowed Ella Sunday to score.

Grace Grimsley led off the Mustangs' sixth with a base hit. Two outs later, Belle Payne smacked a triple to plate Grimsley to tie the game at 4-4.

Five of the Lexington-Ridgeview (8-8) seven base hits went for extra bases. Ziegler led the drive with two doubles and a run batted in. Wesson had a triple and two RBIs and Payne had a triple with a run batted in. Atkins had a three-base knock while Sunday and Grimsley each singled.

Payne got the win in the circle, giving up four runs (two earned) and 10 hits in going the distance. She fanned one.

This article originally appeared on Pontiac Daily Leader: Pontiac Indians garner two wins in softball tourney play