Effingham Claims Paris Regional Title

The Effingham Hearts are regional baseball champions for the third straight season.

Effingham posted a 5-1 victory over the Mattoon Green Wave Saturday to capture the championship of the Paris Class 3A Baseball Regional.

The Hearts took care of business offensively early, scoring twice in the first and three times in the second inning. Meanwhile, the Hearts' Zach Lee pitched a three-hitter, allowing one unearned run while striking out nine against three walks to claim the win.

Effingham scored their five runs on just three hits. Kendall Ballman doubled, while Cooper Jackson and Brayton Poland each singled. The Hearts benefited, though, from eight walks, two to Ballman and one each to Tanner Gordon, Jackson, Poland, Nick Bishop, Jackson Lee and Zach Lee. Ballman scored twice, with Gordon, Jackson and Poland also scoring, so the top of the Hearts' order was busy.

Effingham improved to 24-9 with the win. The Hearts advanced to the Class 3A Springfield Sacred Heart-Griffin Sectional, where they will play at 6:30pm Wednesday in the second game of a doubleheader against Springfield Sacred Heart-Griffin, an 8-2 winner over Quincy Notre Dame, 8-3. In the opener, Charleston will face Chatham Glenwood at 4:30 p.m.

 We will have the game on 979XFM and www.979xfm.com.

Class 3A Paris Regional

Championship

Mattoon                  001    000    0    --    1-3-2

Effingham              230    000    x    --     5-3-1

WP -- Z. Lee. LP -- Birdsong.

Mattoon -- Smith, single; Nichols, single; Owens, single

Effingham -- Ballman, double; Jackson, single; Poland, single, 1 RBI; Bishop, 1 RBI; J. Lee, 1 RBI