EHS Baseball Falls in Regional Final; North Clay Wins First-Ever Sectional

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Published on May 29 2016 12:02 am
Last Updated on May 29 2016 12:02 am
Written by Dustin White

Effingham High School had plenty of baserunners Saturday, but none of them found their way home in a 3-0 loss to Marion in the finale of the Class 3A Herrin Regional.

In a game moved to Southern Illinois University’s Abe Martin in Carbondale, the Flaming Hearts (21-11) racked up nine hits and also drew a couple walks, but it was the Wildcats who notched single tallies in the second, third and fifth innings. Brent Beals got the start for EHS and pitched into the fifth, surrendering four hits and all three Marion scores. He struck out two against a single walk.

Mason Hull, Hudson Graham and Blake White each put together two-hit days.

Marion advances to the Triad (Troy) Sectional for a Tuesday semifinal against either Mt. Vernon or Harrisburg; rainy weather won’t allow those two to decide the Mt. Vernon Regional until Monday morning.

CLASS 3A HERRIN REGIONAL
Championship (At Abe Smith Field, SIU-Carbondal)

Marion 011 010 0 - 3 7 0
Clinton 000 000 0 - 0 9 1
WP - White. LP - Beals.
Marion - Followell, 1-for-3; Farthing, 1-for-3; White, 1-for-3, RBI; Goodman, 1-for-4; Shadowers, 1-for-3; Smith, 2-for-3, RBI
Effingham - Koester, 1-for-3; Koenig, 1-for-3; Hull, 2-for-3; Graham, 2-for-3; White, 2-for-3; Bateman, 1-for-3, double

Ranked fourth in its sub-sectional, North Clay couldn’t have been a popular pick for it’s first-ever super-sectional appearance. Championships aren’t decided on paper, however, and the Cardinals are claimants of their own Class 1A sectional after knocking off top-seeded Edwards County 7-0.

North Clay (19-10) blew open a 2-0 game with five scores in the top of the seventh, securing the program’s first sectional plaque and a Monday date with Goreville at Southern Illinois University’s Abe Martin Field in Carbondale.

Collin Warren, who tossed a couple innings of relief in Thurday’s semifinal win over Oblong, went the distance for the Cardinals. He scattered five hit in the shutout, fanning nine and walking four. Michael Lovett had a three-hit showing, while Jerick VanDyke and Brandon Repking each drove in a pair of runs.

CLASS 1A NORTH CLAY REGIONAL
Championship

North Clay 010 010 5 - 7 9 0
Edwards Co. 000 000 0 - 0 5 4
WP - Warren. LP - Troyer.
North Clay - Lovett, 3-for-5, RBI; J. VanDyke, 2-for-4, double, 2 RBI; Bra. Repking, 1-for-3, double, 2 RBI; Bloemer, 1-for-4; Blank, 1-for-4, RBI; C. VanDyke, 1-for-3; Bri. Repking, RBI
Edwards County - Etheridge, 2-for-3; Duncan, 1-for-3; Schmittler, 1-for-2