Hearts, Bulldogs Split City Series Doubleheader; Other Friday Scores

(THE SENIORS FOR EFFINGHAM AND ST. ANTHONY POSE WITH THE NEW SAM RICKELMAN PLAQUE TO BE AWARDED TO THE WINNING TEAM AT THE END OF EACH CITY SERIES. SINCE THERE WAS A 1-1 TIE THIS SEASON, ALL OF THE SENIORS RECEIVED THE PLAQUE. FROM LEFT: EFFINGHAM'S KYLE PEASE, EFFINGHAM'S MICHAEL WOLTMAN, EFFINGHAM'S ELI BUHRMAN, EFFINGHAM'S BLAKE WHITE, EFFINGHAM'S HUDSON GRAHAM (peeking around White), EFFINGHAM'S RYAN BARNES, ST. ANTHONY'S TAYLOR SEARS, ST. ANTHONY'S MICHAEL KABBES, AND EFFINGHAM'S REED SCHAFER photo by Courtney Koester)

The Effingham Hearts and the St. Anthony Bulldogs split the 2016 Baseball City Series that, because of the rainy week, was reduced to a Friday doubleheader at Paul Smith Field at Community Park. Effingham came from behind to win the opener, 6-5, while St. Anthony scored big in the middle innings to win the nightcap, 9-3. 

Both games were heard on 979XFM and www.979xfm.com 

The teams shared the inaugural Sam Rickelman Plaque, which is to be presented each year to the team that wins the City Series. The plaque is to be presented in memory of the longtime Effingham Daily News sports editor, who died earlier this spring and had a special place in his heart for the event, now in its 35th year.

GAME ONE

Effingham looked as if they would run away with this game, scoring three runs in the first inning. After Brett Koester reached base to lead off the game, Michael Woltman was hit by a pitch. After Koester advanced to third, Brent Beals' groundout scored Koester to make it 1-0. Lane Koenig walked and then Mason Hull walked and wild pitches helped advance runners. Hudson Graham singled home Koenig to make it 3-0 and Blake White walked before St. Anthony Coach Kenny Koenig replaced Brandon Puckett with Drew Gibson who struck out the next two batters to end the inning.

Gibson continued his contributions by leading off the Bulldog first inning with a long home run over the right field fence to make it 3-1. The Hearts came back to return the margin to three courtesy of a one-out double by Woltman and an RBI double by Koenig to make it 4-1.

St. Anthony climbed right back into the game with two runs in the bottom of the second. With one out, James Kabbes singled and Puckett walked. With two outs, Joe Kabbes smoked a double to drive in Kabbes and Puckett and pull St. Anthony within 4-3.

The Bulldogs claimed the lead in the fifth via a leadoff walk to Greg Utz and a one-out walk to Adam Levitt. Kabbes then delivered a single to drive in courtesy runner Taylor Sears and Levitt later came around to score and give St. Anthony a 5-4 lead.

Effingham came back, though, in the seventh. Blake White's leadoff double was followed by Reed Schafer's bunt single. Zac Bateman drove home White to tie the game and then after Koester walked, a ball was hit by Brent Beals that hit Koester, resulting in an out. The umpires, though, allowed Schafer to score on the play and the Hearts had the lead 6-5, which they preserved in the bottom of the seventh for the win.

GAME TWO

This game was scoreless until St. Anthony scored three runs in the top of the third. Drew Gibson led off the inning with a double. Bryar Jansen then doubled Gibson home to make it 1-0. That brought up Greg Utz, who homered to left to make a 3-0 game.

Effingham got a run back in the bottom of the frame on a leadoff single by Reed Schafer, a walk to Ryan Barnes, a walk to Kyle Pease, and a double play by Woltman that still plated Schafer to make it 3-1.

St. Anthony came right back with three more runs in the fourth. Brandon Puckett's leadoff walk and two wild pitches were followed by a single by Austin Kline to make it 4-1. Joe Kabbes then walked and another wild pitch moved both runners into scoring position ahead of a two-run single by Greg Utz and St. Anthony led 6-1.

The Hearts scored a run in the bottom of the inning on a leadoff double by Mason Hull, a walk to Hudson Graham, and Blake White's RBI double to make it 6-2.

St. Anthony, though, scored three runs for the third straight inning to put the game away. With one out, James Kabbes singled. Two wild pitches moved him around to third. Brandon Puckett walked and Austin Kline was hit by a pitch. With two outs, Drew Gibson cleared the bases with a double to make it 9-2.

Effingham scored a run in the sixth to account for the final score. With one out, Hull reached on an error, moved to third on a ground ball, and scored on an error to make it 9-3.

Adam Levitt went the distance to pick up the win for the Bulldogs.

With the split, Effingham improved to 18-5 while St. Anthony sits at 14-11.

Effingham pitching in Game One: Lane Koenig--4-1/3 innings, five runs, four earned runs, five hits, six walks, seven strikeouts, one wild pitch; Brent Beals--2-2/3 innings, two hits, two strikeouts

St. Anthony pitching in Game One: Brandon Puckett--1/3 inning, three runs, one earned run, one hit, three walks, one wild pitch; Drew Gibson--6-2/3 innings, two runs, two earned runs, nine hits, five walks, four strikeouts

Effingham at the plate in Game One: Brett Koester--walk, run; Michael Woltman--double, two runs; Brent Beals--single, walk, 2 RBI; Lane Koenig--double, single, two walks, run, RBI; Mason Hull--single, walk; Hudson Graham--single, RBI; Blake White--double, two walks, run; Reed Schafer--two singles, run; Zac Bateman--single, RBI

St. Anthony at the plate in Game One: Drew Gibson--home run, single, walk, RBI; Greg Utz--single, two walks, run; Adam Levitt--walk, run; James Kabbes--two singles, run, RBI; Brandon Puckett--two walks, run; Joe Kabbes--double, single, 2 RBI

St. Anthony pitching in Game Two: Adam Levitt--seven innings, three runs, two earned runs, four hits, three walks, three wild pitches, seven strikeouts

Effingham pitching in Game Two: Hudson Graham--3+ innings, four runs, four earned runs, five hits, two walks, one wild pitch, two strikeouts; Ryan Barnes--two batters faced, two runs, two earned runs, one hit, one walk, one wild pitch; Colby Utz--2/3 inning, one hit, one wild pitch; Brett Koester--3-1/3 innings, three runs, three earned runs, two hits, two walks, two wild pitches, three strikeouts

St. Anthony at the plate in Game Two: Drew Gibson--two doubles, run, 3 RBI; Bryar Jansen--double, single, run, RBI; Greg Utz--home run, single, run, 4 RBI; Ethan Greene--walk; James Kabbes--double, single, run; Brandon Puckett--two walks, two runs; Austin Kline--single, run, RBI; Taylor Sears--walk; Joe Kabbes--walk, run

Effingham at the plate in Game Two: Kyle Pease--walk; Mason Hull--double, two runs; Hudson Graham--single, walk; Blake White--double, RBI; Reed Schafer--single, run; Ryan Barnes--walk

OTHER SCORES FROM FRIDAY:

Neoga 9, Windsor/Stew-Stras 5

Teutopolis 3, Benton 1 (20th win for the Wooden Shoes)

Brownstown/St. Elmo 13, Ramsey 2