Neoga Downs St. Anthony to Reach Sectional Championship Game

The Neoga Indians defeated the St. Anthony Bulldogs, 8-2, Thursday evening to reach the championship game of the St. Anthony 1A Sectional Tournament. The game was heard on KJ Country 102.3 and www.kjcountry.com. 

Neoga posted its 20th win of the season and will take on the Edwards County Lions Saturday at 10am for the sectional championship and the right to advance to 1A Super-Sectional action Monday at 3pm at SIU Carbondale. We will air the Neoga game Saturday on KJ Country.

Neoga's Guy Walk pitched a dandy game, allowing just five hits and two walks. Walk did hit three batters and made three wild pitches but, if anything, it helped in his ability to keep the Bulldogs hitters off-balance for much of the game. Walk fanned seven batters in going the distance for the win.

Neoga opened the scoring in the second inning on back-to-back doubles by Drew Ramert and Justin Yurs, and then Yurs scored on an errant throw to second on a steal attempt.

The Indians added two more runs in the third inning on a single by Trevor Moore, a triple by Matt Kingery and a base hit by Zack Monroe.

St. Anthony made it a 4-1 game in the fourth on a walk by Zach Gardewine and a run-scoring double by Kyle Bourgeois.

Neoga bounced back with a run in the fifth on a walk to Lee Nees, a stolen base by courtesy runner Sawyer James, a ground ball and a sacrifice fly by Matt Kingery. 

The Indians added three more runs in the sixth on a walk to Caleb Hill, a single by Guy Walk, an error allowing Drew Ramert to reach base, a fielder's choice and a RBI grounder by Lee Nees.

The Bulldogs added a run in the sixth on back-to-back doubles by Greg Utz and Zach Gardewine, but that ended the scoring.

Kyle Bourgeois started the game for St. Anthony and allowed four runs, three earned, on six hits in two-plus innings. Gardewine finished the game for St. Anthony, allowing four runs, just one earned, on two hits and two walks in five innings of work. Bourgeois and Gardewine each had a strikeout.

At the plate for Neoga: Trevor Moore--single, run scored; Matt Kingery--triple, run scored, 2 RBI; Zack Monroe--single, RBI; Caleb Hill--double, walk, run scored; Guy Walk--single; Layne Andrews--run scored; Drew Ramert--double, two runs scored; Justin Yurs--double, run scored, 2 RBI; Jordan Hoedebecke--single; Lee Nees--walk, RBI

At the plate for St. Anthony: Jacob Lorenz--single; Drew Gibson--hit by pitch; James Kabbes--single, hit by pitch; Braden Puckett--walk; Greg Utz--double, run scored; Zach Gardewine--walk, double, run scored, RBI; Kyle Bourgeois--double, RBI

Neoga improved to 20-7 on the season, breaking a string where Indians Coach Ted Kerner had reached 19 wins four times. Neoga is also bidding for its first-ever sectional championship.

St. Anthony concludes its campaign with a 15-12 record.