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Pontiac sweeps competition in Quad Cities softball event

erich murphy, pontiac daily leader
·4 min read
First baseman Henry Brummel makes a toss to pitcher Logan Barnett, who was covering first, during Friday's nonconference baseball game with Manteno.
First baseman Henry Brummel makes a toss to pitcher Logan Barnett, who was covering first, during Friday's nonconference baseball game with Manteno.

TAYLOR RIDGE — Pontiac went 4-0 over the weekend to help build momentum heading into this week's regional softball play. It wasn't until the middle of the fourth game when the Indians finally allowed a run.

Pontiac opened play on Friday with a 7-0 victory over Class 4A East Moline (United Township). Makayla Metz was hitting her spots as she struck out 10 and allowed five hits. She tossed 61 strikes in 85 pitches.

Metz got run support in the second inning as the Indians scored four times. The first run was a bomb as Sam Johns belted a solo homer to lad off the frame. Brooke Fox added a run-scoring single and Elena Krause drove in two with a double for a 4-0 lead.

Maddie Gourley had a run-scoring two-bagger in the fourth in helping the Tribe increase its lead to 7-0.

Gourley had two hits, including her double, and drove in two runs. Krause had a double and two runs batted in and Sam Johns had a homer. Metz also singled.

Pontiac 3, Shepard 0

Krause tossed a no-hitter in Pontiac's second game on Friday. The Indians won their 20th game of the season with the 3-0 decision over Class 4A Palos Heights (Shepard). Krause walked three and struck out 10.

The Tribe did its scoring in the second inning. Tessa Collins scored on a Cadence Helms squeeze bunt. Gourley and Krause each drove in a run with a base hit for the 3-0 lead.

Rylie Zimmerman and Johns collected two hits apiece while Gourley and Krause each had a hit and RBI. Mackenzie Coates and Metz had one hit apiece and Helms drove in a run.

Pontiac 6, Seneca 0

A familiar foe in Seneca crossed the lines to face the Indians in Saturday's first game, which was a 6-0 win. Metz went the distance for the win. She allowed five hits and a walk while striking out nine.

PTHS scored in each of the first three innings to provide Metz with her run support.

Gourley led off the Pontiac first with a walk and scored on Krause base hit. Johns led off the second with a base hit and Johns scored on a Metz single. Helms drove in courtesy runner Kendall Pitchford with a double and a Gourley single scored Helms.

An error and a Metz single drove in the final two runs in the third frame.

Metz had two hits and two RBIs and Gourley had two hits and drove in a run for the Indians. Helms had a double and RBI, Krause had a hit and drove in a run and Zimmerman, Johns and Fox each singled.

Pontiac 10, Ridgewood 2

Pontiac completed its run at the Rockridge Invitational with a 10-2 victory over Class 3A Norridge (Ridgewood) to run its record to 22-7-1 on the season.

Krause drove in more runs than she allowed as the Indians went unbeaten in the quartet of contests in the Quad Cities. Krause allowed two runs and three hits while punching out 11.

Krause drove in four runs with two hits, including a triple. PTHS collected 10 safeties.

Krause and Bailey Masching each had run-scoring singles in the first inning and Krause had a bases-loaded three-bagger in the second as the lead grew to 5-0. It was a 6-0 game after Masching singled to drive in Krause.

A two-out, two run homer in the top Ridgewood fourth ended Pontiac's scoreless inning pitching streak at 21. The Indians responded with a run in the bottom of the fourth and Gourley capped a three-run fifth for PTHS with a run-scoring double and the final difference.

Krause had a triple, single and four runs batted in for the Indians. Masching had two hits and three RBIs and Gourley had a double, single and run batted in. Metz had two hits while Helms doubled and Coates singled. Fox drove in a run.

Baseball

Manteno 5, Pontiac 2

Manteno did most of its damage in the late innings in posting a 5-2 nonconference baseball win over Pontiac at The Ballpark at Williamson Field Friday.

Pontiac hurler Logan Barnett delivers a pitch against Manteno Friday.
Pontiac hurler Logan Barnett delivers a pitch against Manteno Friday.

Logan Barnett took the loss after giving up three runs and wight hits in five innings. He struck out five. C Gesell yielded a run, two hits and a walk in an inning of relief. Nick Krueger also allowed a run and two hits in an inning of relief.

The Panthers took a 1-0 lead in the second inning but the Indians responded in the third to tie it up. Colin Gould singled with one out in the PTHS third. He stole second and scored on a Michael Kuska base hit to tie the game.

Manteno took the lead for good with two runs in the fifth inning and added single tallies in the sixth and seventh frames.

Pontiac's Michael Kuska makes contact against Manteno. Kuska had two hits and drove in two runs in the Tribe's loss to the Panthers.
Pontiac's Michael Kuska makes contact against Manteno. Kuska had two hits and drove in two runs in the Tribe's loss to the Panthers.

Pontiac scored in the seventh in coming up short. Kuska singled with two outs to drive in Gould, who had singled the batter before.

Kuska finished with two hits and two runs batted in for Pontiac (10-13). Gould also had two hits and Henry Brummel and Cam Fenton each singled.

This article originally appeared on Pontiac Daily Leader: Pontiac sweeps competition in Quad Cities softball event