EHS, St. A Split In City Baseball Series

Effingham and Effingham St. Anthony spilt victories in the City Baseball Series Wednesday.

The Hearts won the opener 7-4. EHS edged out to a 1-0 opening inning lead behind a double by Kendall Ballman. Cooper Jackson hit a sacrifice fly that brought Ballman home.

The two teams went scoreless through the next three innings before EHS put across two more runs in the fifth. Ballman started things rolling again by drawing a walk and stealing second. A hard hit ball allowed Ballman and Tanner Gordon to score and the Hearts led 3-0.

In the top of the sixth, the Bulldogs started to rumble, loading the bases with two outs on three walks. But a ground out ended that threat.

EHS then put the game totally away with four runs in the bottom of the sixth. Colin Fielitz had a double, driving in a run. Carson Utz hit a sacrifice fly that scored Fielitz. Cooper Jackson had a single that scored two and the Hearts held a 7-0 lead going into the final inning.

But, don't count the Bulldogs out. St. Anthony had back-to-back singles by Bryson Wall and Davis Tingley who both advanced on steals. Jack Hoene hit a sacrifice fly, scoring Wall. Aaron Webb then doubled and it was 7-2. Dylan Guy then doubled scoring two runs. But that was the end as the Bulldogs could only pull within 7-4.

Ballman finished with two doubles while Jackson had two singles and five RBI. Fielitz added a double and an RBI.

St. Anthony was led by Guy with a single, double and two RBI while Niebrugge and Webb had a double each.

Loy picked up the pitching win going six innings, allowing five hits, two runs, three walks and striking out five.

In the second game, it was reversed as the Bulldogs pounded in the runs for a 9-1 victory.

This time around, it was Bulldog pitching that kept the Hearts off the bases as D. Guy went the distance allowing one run on three hits, one walk and striking out 11.

St. Anthony scored a run in the second on a single by Wall with one out. Hoene then brought Wall home on a single.

The Bulldogs pushed across three more in the third on singles by Collin Koester and Wall. Picking up RBI were Davis Tingley, Aaron Webb and Logan Antrim and the Bulldogs led 4-0.

In the fourth, Fearday led off with walk and eventually came home on a sacrifice by Wall and the score stood at 5-0.

St. Anthony didn't sit around after the 5-0 lead but tallied three more in the sixth. Koester wa s hit by a pitch and Fearday reached on a single. Both runners came home on a double by Blake Niebrugge. Niebrugge scored on a single by Wall.

The lone run for the Hearts came in the sixth on a single by Ballman. He stole second and came home on a snigle by Cooper Jackson.

The Bulldogs retaliated with a run in the top of the seventh. with a walk to Webb, two wild pitches and a single by Koester.

Wall had three singles and two RBI for the Bulldogs while Tingley added two singles and an RBI, Fearday a single and double, Koester two singles and an RBI and Niebrugge a double and two RBI.

The two teams will meet up again  riday at Evergreen Hollow Park at 7 p.m. to determine the champion.

At Paul Smithi Field

Game One

St. Anthony                000    000    4    --    4-7-0

Effingham                  100    024    x    --    7-6-1

WP -- Loy. LP -- Braunecker.

St. Anthony -- Guy, single, double, 2 RBI; Koester, single; Niebrugge, double; Wall, single; Tingley, single; Hoene, 1 RBI; Webb, double, 1 RBI

Effingham -- Ballman, 2 doubles; Gordon, single; Jackson, 2 singles, 5 RBI; Fielitz, double, 1 RBI; Utz, 1 RBI

Game Two

St. Anthony                013    103    1    --    9-12-0

Effingham                  000    001    0    --    1-  3-1

WP -- Guy. LP -- Lee.

St. Anthony -- Koester, 2 singles, 1 RBI; Fearday, single, double; Niebrugge, double, 2 RBI; Wall, 3 singles, 2 RBI; Tingley, 2 singles, 1 RBI; Hoene, single,1 RBI; Webb, single, 1 RBI

Effingham -- Ballman, single; Jackson, single, 1 RBI; Poland, single