Wooden Shoes Are State Champions

(TEUTOPOLIS PLAYERS CELEBRATE AFTER RECEIVING THEIR STATE CHAMPIONSHIP TROPHY SATURDAY IN PEORIA)

The Teutopolis Wooden Shoes won the Class 2A Baseball State Championship Saturday evening, defeating the St. Joseph-Ogden Spartans, 10-2. The game at Dozer Park was heard on 979XFM and www.979xfm.com. 

The Wooden Shoes will be welcomed home Sunday afternoon. They will climb aboard a Teutopolis fire truck outside Teutopolis High School at 12:30pm for a parade through town, returning for a Welcome Home reception in J.H. Griffin Gym at approximately 1pm.

It is the third state championship for the Teutopolis High School baseball program, all won during the tenure of Wooden Shoes Coach Justin Fleener. T-Town won back-to-back state titles in 2010 and 2011.

Teutopolis won the title game in impressive fashion, plating a run in the first inning. Carson Hartke hit the first pitch of the game over the head of SJO's left fielder, ending up on a second with a leadoff double. Jason Kenter then reached on an infield single. Cody Jansen hit into a double play, but it allowed Hartke to score, making it 1-0. 

The Shoes added two runs in the second. Brock Bueker singled, Lee Hardiek sacrificed him to second, and with two outs, Hartke doubled him home. Kenter then singled home Hartke, making it 3-0.

T-Town extended the lead with two more runs in the fourth inning. Lee Hardiek led off the inning with a walk and Dylan Bloemer sacrificed him to second. Hartke then singled Hardiek home and stole second, and Kenter doubled him home to make it 5-0. 

The Shoes scored three more times in the sixth inning. With one out, Bloemer drew a walk, Hartke was hit by a pitch, and Kenter got his fourth hit of the game to single home Bloemer. Jansen singled home Hartke, and Kremer drove in Kenter with a single and that made it 8-0.

St. Joe-Ogden finally got on the board in the bottom of the sixth when Mason Coon reached on an error and Brant Hoevln homered to make it 8-2.

Teutopolis got those back in the top of the seventh, though. Brant Bueker singled and Brock Bueker singled, Hardiek sacrificed to move the runners up, but an error on the play allowed Brant Bueker to score. Pinch-hitter Drew Thoele then hit into a double play, but Brock Bueker was able to score, restoring the Shoes' eight-run margin.

With Eric Kremer in danger of not being able to finish the game due to the pitch count limitation, he instead got a two-pitch out, gave up a single, and then induced a ground ball back to him. Kremer threw to second for the force and the relay to first was in time for a game-ending double play that gave the Shoes the championship.

Kremer pitched a great ballgame, allowing just five hits and two unearned runs, walking just one and fanning five.

At the plate for Teutopolis, the top of the order were the stars. Jason Kenter doubled and singled three times, scored a run and drove in three runs, while Carson Hartke went three-for-four including two doubles and a single, got hit by a pitch, stole a base, scored four times and drove in two runs. Cody Jansen singled and drove in a run, Eric Kremer singled and reached on an error and drove in a run; Lane Belleville singled; Brant Bueker singled and walked and scored a run; Brock Bueker singled twice and scored twice; Lee Hardiek walked and sacrificed and scored a run; and Dylan Bloemer walked and sacrificed and scored a run.

Teutopolis finished their weekend at the state tournament outscoring their opponents 21-2.