Hearts Battle Back to Force Extra Innings, Then Encounter Nightmare Ninth Inning

The Effingham Hearts had the momentum Friday, battling back to tie their game at Paul Smith Field against Highland 4-4 and send the game to extra innings.  Then came a nightmare ninth inning.

The Bulldogs poured 11 runs across the plate on their way to a 15-4 win over the Hearts.

Highland took a 2-0 first inning lead, but Effingham made it 2-1 in the bottom of the inning.  Highland got the run back in the top of the second but Effingham scored in the bottom of the frame to pull within 3-2.  Each team scored in the fifth to make it 4-3 Highland, but the Hearts came up with a run in the bottom of the seventh to force extra innings.  Then, the ninth inning Highland landslide.

Brennon Poland took the loss for the Hearts after pitching 3-2/3 innings of scoreless relief, following Ryan Barnes.  He was followed by Adam Koester and Michael Woltman on the mound.

At the plate for Effingham: Kennan Mahaffey singled and walked, Adam Koester walked and scored, Brayden Bone singled three times and walked, Carter Hayes doubled and drove in two runs, and Swayde Sanders doubled and walked and scored.

Effingham, now 3-4 on the spring, is right back at it today, hosting Charleston in an 11am Apollo Conference doubleheader at Paul Smith Field.

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Teutopolis 9, Flora 0

The Wooden Shoes made the most of their hits, scoring nine runs on five hits Friday in their win over the Wolves.  Teutopolis scored four in the first and three in the fourth before adding single tallies in the fourth and sixth innings.

Darren Probst held Flora to two hits and two walks in going the distance for the win, fanning 12 batters along the way to improve to 4-1 on the spring. Litaker took the loss for Flora.

At the plate for Teutopolis, John Ungrund walked and scored, Reed Hardiek doubled twice and walked and drove in two runs, Bobby Wenthe scored a run, Darren Probst scored a run, Alex Goldstein walked twice and scored, Justin Kenter doubled and walked and scored twice, J. Thoele walked twice, scored and drove in a run, Tommy Flach walked, scored and drove in a run, and Brock Mette singled twice and walked, scored and drove in a run.

Teutopolis is 10-2 on the spring, while Flora drops to 5-6.

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Dieterich 6, Oblong 1

Tanner Traub had a career day Friday.  The senior went the distance for the win, allowing one unearned on just two hits, walking three and striking out 15.  Traub also was 4-for-4 at the plate, drove in two runs and scored.

Also at the plate for Dieterich: J. Bohnhoff singled and walked twice and scored a run; T. Poe singled and walked, scored and drove in a run; C. Hartke walked twice and scored; Campton singled twice and drove in two runs; C. Thoele singled and scored; Mellendorf scored a run

Dieterich is now 4-3 on the spring.

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Windsor/Stewardson-Strasburg 14, Casey-Westfield 7

W/SS scored four in the first, two each in the second and third, four more in the fourth and two more in the fifth to post the win.

Dylan Ohnesorge got the win in four innings of work, allowing seven runs, just three earned, on six hits, walking four and striking out four.  Bryse Bugger, Mark Jones and Christian Vonderheide each pitched an inning of scoreless relief with Vonderheide striking out the side.

Ohnesorge also homered, as did Devon Deremiah.  Also offensively for W/SS: Brandon Helmuth singled and walked twice, scored twice and drove in a run; Tristan Warner singled and scored; Christian Vonderheide walked three times and scored twice; Nic Hutchinson doubled and singled, drove in a run and scored twice; Jacob Kramer doubled, drove in four runs and scored twice; Derek Moschenrose singled, scored and drove in a run; Bryse Bugger singled and drove in three runs; Dylan Ohnesorge also singled; and Devon Deremiah also singled, scored three times and drove in three runs.

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Salem 3, North Clay 2 (McNeely took the loss; Britton had two hits and drove in a run; Warren singled and drove in a run)

Carlyle 12, South Central 2 (Ross took the loss; Smith doubled and singled; Markley singled and drove in a run; South Central now 3-2 on the spring)

Cumberland 10, Red Hill 9 (Cutts got the win with two innings of relief; Elwood tripled, doubled and singled and drove in two runs; Cutts doubled and singled twice and drove in two runs; Bauguss had two hits and drove in a run; Swingler singled twice and drove in two runs; A. Light doubled; H. Light singled and drove in two runs; Kanizer singled and drove in a run)

Cumberland 12, Neoga 8 (Elwood got the win, Easton took the loss; for Cumberland--Cutts homered twice and drove in four runs; Clark homered and drove in two runs; H. Light homered and drove in three runs; Kanizer drove in two runs; Elwood doubled and drove in a run; for Neoga--Olmstead homered and drove in four runs; Baker drove in a run; Neoga is 6-2-1)

Vandalia 1, Pana 0

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Effingham's frosh/soph squad lost to Highland Friday, 14-2.  

Cory Osborn took the loss as Effingham fell to 2-3 on the spring; Lane Koenig doubled and singled and drove in the Hearts' two runs; Zac Bateman and Reed Schafer each singled.