Hearts Win Own Baseball Regional Championship

(THE EFFINGHAM HEARTS, 2015 BASEBALL 3A REGIONAL CHAMPIONS; THE SENIORS POSE WITH THE REGIONAL PLAQUE: FROM LEFT, BRAYDON BONE, CARTER HAYES, ADAM KOESTER, SWAYDE SANDERS, JACOB DUST, KEVIN DAUGHERTY AND BRENNAN POLAND)

The Effingham Hearts won their own 3A baseball regional championship Saturday, 8-1, over the Charleston Trojans. The game at Paul Smith Field in Community Park was heard on 979XFM and www.979xfm.com. 

Effingham got the win behind two big scoring innings and standout pitching from junior Hudson Graham.

Graham pitched six innings, allowing just five hits and five walks while fanning 10 including a stretch of seven straight batters. Lane Koenig worked the final inning after Graham issued a walk to open the seventh inning.

Effingham broke through in the third inning, scoring three times. Blake White was hit by a pitch to start the inning but was erased on a fielder's choice with Reed Schafer reaching base. Braydon Bone then reached base on an error and Adam Koester singled to load the bases. Brennan Poland then shot a ball just inside first base to drive home two runs. Carter Hayes then walked to reload the bases and then Michael Woltman singled home a run.

In the fifth, the Hearts scored five times to put the game away. With one out, Brennan Poland reached on an error, Carter Hayes walked and Michael Woltman singled to load the bases. Hudson Graham then hit a fly ball to bring home a run and then Lane Koenig singled to drive in a run. Blake White walked and then Reed Schafer singled home a run to make it 8-0.

Charleston's lone run came in the seventh.

Here's how the Hearts fared at the plate: Braydon Bone--run scored; Adam Koester--single, run scored; Brennan Poland--two singles, 2 RBI, run scored; Carter Hayes--two walks; Swayde Sanders--run scored; Michael Woltman--three singles, walk, run scored, RBI; Hudson Graham--sacrifice fly, RBI; Lane Koenig--single, run scored, RBI; Blake White--hit by pitch, walk, run scored; Reed Schafer--two singles, run scored, RBI

Effingham improved to 21-12. The Hearts advanced to the Salem 3A Sectional, where they will play in semifinal action Wednesday at 4:30pm against Mt. Vernon, who won the Herrin Regional by defeating Herrin, 11-9.

Charleston finished its season at 21-13.