Bulldogs Win Friday Night; Hearts Win City Series

The St. Anthony Bulldogs scored four times in the top of the seventh to pull out the final game of the 2017 City Series, defeating the Effingham Hearts 5-2. The game was heard on 979XFM and www.979xfm.com. 

Trailing 2-1 heading into the seventh, the Bulldogs got a leadoff single from Jacob Guy and Austin Kline sacrificed Guy to second. Reliver Bryce Lohman then hit Bryson Wall and Bryar Jansen in consecutive at-bats to load the bases. Ethan Greene then hit a ground ball on which Guy was forced at the plate with Greene reaching first. Drew Gibson then faced Mason Hull and took a pitch the other way for a base hit to drive in Wall and Jansen with the tying and go-ahead runs, then Greg Utz singled to drive in Greene and Gibson to make it 5-2.

Effingham had moved ahead with a run in the fifth on a line drive home run over the left field fence by Brent Beals.

St. Anthony took a 1-0 lead in the first. Jansen led off the game with a double. He later moved to third on a ground ball and then scored on a wild pitch.

Effingham tied the game in the bottom of the inning on a one-out triple by Brett Koester and a run-scoring ground ball by Beals.

Colin Koester started the game for the Bulldogs, going five innings and allowing two runs on three hits while walking four and fanning two. Joseph Kabbes was impressive in relief, allowing just one hit in two innings of work, striking out five to get the win.

Zach Lee had a good starting performance for the Hearts, allowing just one run on two hits and three walks in 5-2/3 innings of work, striking out eight. Colby Utz got two outs and allowed a hit. Bryce Lohman hit the only two batters he faced. Mason Hull gave up two runs on two hits and a wild pitch while recording one strikeout.

The win improve the Bulldogs' record to 15-8 heading into regional play at Cumberland next week. Effingham suffered just its third loss against 21 wins this season with seven regular season games remaining in the last week of their Class 3A regular season.

At Effingham

St. Anthony            100    000    4    --    5-5-2

Effingham               100    010    0    --    2-4-2

WP -- Koester. LP -- Utz.

St. Anthony -- Jansen, double; Green, single; Gibson, single, 2 RBI; Utz, single, 2 RBI; Guy, single

Effingham -- Sandifer, single, double; Koester, triple; Beals, home run, 2 RBI