Saturday's prep highlights: SJ-O softball swings for the fences

Joey Wright, The News-Gazette, Champaign-Urbana, Ill.
Updated ·6 min read

Apr. 23—In baseball

➜ Arthur-Lovington-Atwood-Hammond 9, Georgetown-Ridge Farm 7. Wyatt Hilligoss plated a run with a double in the sixth inning that represented the go-ahead run for the host Knights (9-7) in a nonconference game. That was part of a two-run frame for the Knights that capped an offensive effort that included four hits from Dalton Vanausdoll — including a pair of triples and two RBI — and two hits apiece from Clay Seal and Will Hilligoss. Cameron Steinbaugh led the Buffaloes (4-6) with three hits while Jase Latoz and Jackson Pratt added two hits apiece.

➜ Centennial (7-10) went on the road and shut out Big 12 opponent Peoria on the strength of a combined one-hitter from the trio of Cal Meyers, Kam Ross and Brody Stonecipher, who teamed up to strike out nine Lions in the five-inning win. The Chargers' offense collected eight hits, four of which came from the combined efforts of Haneef Eiermann and Jeremiah Thompson.

➜ Cerro Gordo/Bement 8, Sullivan 5. All nine Cerro Gordo/Bement batters tallied one hit apiece and Michael Freese, Tyson Moore and Brayden Strack each drove in two runs apiece to key a nonconference road win for the Broncos (5-7). Tristan Ruppert and Caden Saul each had two hits for Sullivan (11-6).

➜ Le Roy 9, Roanoke-Benson 5. Cole Wilson drove in a run as part of a three-hit performance and Brody Bennett tallied three hits and plated two runs to key the Panthers (8-8) to a nonconference home victory that marked pitcher Noah Company's fourth win of the season.

➜ Mahomet-Seymour 13-11, Taylorville 0-1. The Bulldogs (18-3) dominated an Apollo Conference doubleheader on their home field thanks to strong pitching performances from Alec Bergman and Alex McHale. Both turned in five-inning complete games, with Bergman allowing two hits and striking out seven batters in the first game and McHale surrendering two hits with five strikeouts in the second game. McHale added three hits in the first game and drove in three runs while Gavin Bailey and Cade Starrick each added doubles; Carter Johnson drove in three runs while McHale and Tyson Finch drove in two runs apiece in game two.

➜ Milford 15, Herscher 11. All 10 players who stepped up to the plate for Milford (7-7-1) recorded hits as the Bearcats outlasted Herscher in a nonconference road game. Sawyer Laffoon and Beau Wright each tripled and drove in three runs for Milford — which utilized a six-run seventh frame to come from behind for the win — while Max Cook, Owen Halpin and Adin Portwood collected two hits apiece.

➜ St. Joseph-Ogden 8-4, Chillicothe IVC 3-0. In the first game of an Illini Prairie Conference doubleheader in Chillicothe, Luke Landrus and Nolan Earley each drove in two runs and Coy Taylor connected for three hits and drove in an additional run to key a comfortable victory for the Spartans (18-4). Jack Robertson struck out 11 batters as part of a two-hit shutout in the nightcap, which was complemented by two RBI from Adam Price and two hits from Coy Taylor.

In softball

➜ Argenta-Oreana 7, Fisher 2. Miriah Powell turned in seven innings of work in the circle and struck out 10 batters while only allowing four hits to pace the Bombers (8-5) in a nonconference win over host Fisher. Sophia Wicklund led the Bombers' offense with Abbey Matthews and Powell chipping in two hits apiece. Kailey May led Fisher's offense with a two-hit showing in which she also scored a run. Kallie Evans scored the other run for Fisher (12-6) in a game in which Argenta-Oreana pulled away with a three-run sixth inning.

➜ Blue Ridge 20, Decatur Eisenhower 8. The Knights (6-9) notched 20 hits in a five-inning nonconference road win. Cassie Zimmerman collected hits in all four of her at-bats, Carsyn Stiger and Ellie Schlieper added three hits apiece and Carmen Ellis, Presley Hardesty and Alexis Wike each added two hits. Schlieper and Ellis combined for nine strikeouts.

➜ Danville 15, Richwoods 8. Kaleah Bellik earned hits in all three of her at-bats and muscled a home run to pace a Vikings offense that also included four RBI from Kendall Rannebarger and two hits apiece from Peyton Beith, Maya Gagnon and Cheyanne Walls in a Big 12 road win for Danville (3-7).

➜ Fisher 12, Okaw Valley 2. Peyton Murphy fanned seven batters and allowed just five hits in a six-inning outing that keyed the host Bunnies (13-6) to a nonconference win. Fisher benefitted from two hits and three RBI from Paige Hott and a pair of hits from Aundreha Kelley. Hott and Kailey May both hit home runs.

➜ Mahomet-Seymour 12-9, Taylorville 4-2. Scoring runs in the first inning of the first game of an Apollo doubleheader set the tone for the Bulldogs, who never trailed over the course of 13 innings in enemy territory. Kenadi Granadino and Madelyn Logsdon each drove in two runs to key the Bulldogs (6-10) in the first game, while Katherine Severns twirled seven innings of five-hit, three-strikeout action. Logdson hit a pair of triples in the second game, while Rio Casillas and Ava Henderson added triples as well. Casillas drove in four runs while Henderson allowed just three hits in six innings of work against the Tornadoes' lineup.

➜ Marshall 16-2, Salt Fork 4-5. The Storm (15-6) bounced back from an eight-run setback in the first game of a nonconference doubleheader to earn a split. Alexa Jamison and Ava Ringstrom each earned two hits in the first contest, with Jamison collecting the lone RBI for the Storm. She followed that effort by blasting a three-run home run in the second contest, with Ringstrom and Kendyl Hurt each adding two hits to help Salt Fork's offensive cause. Hurt struck out seven batters against one walk and allowed just two hits to keep Marshall's offense at bay.

➜ St. Joseph-Ogden 17, Arthur-Lovington-Atwood-Hammond 6. Timera Blackburn-Kelley pitched a complete game and struck out six batters to key the Spartans (15-7) to a nonconference victory in Arthur. Grace Osterbur put up a monster effort at the plate with four hits in as many tries, which included the first home run of her career and two RBI. Two of Shayne Immke's three hits were home runs and Alyssa Acton added a home run as part of a three-hit effort. Halle Brazelton also hit a home run for SJ-O. The Knights (13-5) were paced by a two-homer effort from Alisha Frederick and three hits from Mackenzie Condill.

In girls' soccer

➜ Mahomet-Seymour 6, Champaign Central 0. Paislee Welge scored four goals and Emma Dallas and Alaina Jared each scored one goal for the Bulldogs (7-2-2) to get past the host Maroons (3-5-3).