NTC Baseball Tourney Down To Final Four

North Clay (Louisville), Altamont, South Central and Effingham St. Anthony advanced to the final four of the National Trail Conference Baseball Tournament with victories Monday.

Top-seeded North Clay blanked Brownstown/St. Elmo, 7-0. The two teams went scoreless through the first three innings before the Cardinals broke loose with three runs in the fourth then had a four-run sixth.

Luke Fleener threw a one-hitter with one walk and 10 strikeouts.

Ingram had a double, home run and two RBI for the winners while Harmon Clifton and Ballard had a double and an RBI each.

The one hit for BSE came from Caleb Atwood with a single. BSE ends the season with an 11-9 record.

North Clay advances with a 16-4 mark to face Altamont Wednesday at 4 p.m.

No. 4 seeded Altamont downed No. 5 Dieterich, 12-2 in five innings via the 10-run rule.

The Indians stepped out to a 3-0 first inning lead then had a six-run second, a two-run third and a one-run fourth. Dieterich tallied two in the top of the fifth.

Three pitchers combined for a one-hitter. Eirhart went four innings, allowing no runs on no hits, four walks and three strikeouts for the win. Robbins allowed two runs on one hit and two walks. Hammer finished out the final inning allowing no hits, one walk and one strikeout.

Leading Altamont in hittnig were Baucum with two doubles and two RBI, Cripe with a triple and five RBI, Stuemke with a triple and an RBI and Robbins with a single and two RBI.

Britton had a single for Dieterich while Will and Hunzinger had an RBI each.

South Central stepped out to a 3-0 opening inning lead on Neoga and went on for a 13-3 victory in five innings.

The Cougars, seeded No. 2, banged out 10 hits led by Brandt with two singles, a double and two RBI, Patten two singles and three RBI, Cowger two singles and an RBI, VanScyoc a single and three RBI and Watwood two RBI.

Lacey and Romack had a single each for No. 7 Neoga.

Third-seeded St. Anthony blanked sixth-seeded Windsor/Stewardson-Strasburg in five innings, 10-0.

Kaden Fearday picked up the pitching win, going four innings, allowing one hit, one walk and striking out five.

Logan Antrim had a single, two doubles and three RBI for the Bulldogs while Jack Hoene added a single, double and two RBI and Brody Niebrugge a double and an RBI.

The lone hit for WSS came from Gaven Wernsing with a single.

The tourney continues Wednesday with Altamont at North Clay at 4 p.m. and St. Anthony at South Central, also at 4 p.m. Both games will be broadcast on 979 XFM and KJ Country 102.3. The winners advance to the championship game Friday at 7 p.m. while the losers will meet for third place at 4 p.m. Both games will be held at Paul Smith Field.

NTC Tournament

Game Two

At Louisville

BSE                          000    000    0    --    0-1-3

North Clay               000    304    x    --    7-6-3

WP -- Fleener. LP -- McWhorter.

Brownstown/St. Elmo -- Atwood, single

North Clay -- Jones, single, 2 RBI; Ha. Clifton, double, 1 RBI; Ingram, double, home run, 2 RBI; Fleener, single, 1 RBI; Ballard, double, 1 RBI

Game Three

At  Altamont

Game Three

Dieterich                  000    02    --      2-1-2

Altamont                 362    1x    --    12-7-1

WP -- Eirhart. LP -- Hunzinger.

Dieterich -- Britton, single; Will, 1 RBI; Hunzinger, 1 RBI

Altamont -- Eirhart, single, 1 RBI; Teasley, 1 RBI; Cripe, triple, 5 RBI; Baucum, 2 doubles, 2 RBI; Robbins, single, 2 RBI; Kopplin, single; Stuemke, triple, 1 RBI

Game Four

At Kinmundy

Neoga                             000    12    --      3-  2-2

South Central                301    72    --    13-10-5

WP -- Grzegorek. LP -- Moore.

Neoga -- Lacey, single; Romack, single

South Central -- Cowger, 2 singles, 1 RBI; Brandt, 2 singles, double, 2 RBI; Patten, 2 singles, 3 RBI; VanScyoc, single, 3 RBI; A. Dodson, 1 RBI; Watwood, 2 RBI; Rubin, single, 1 RBI; Lybarger, single

Game Five

At St. Anthony

WSS                           000    00    --      0-  1-2

St. Anthony               040    6x    --    10-10-0

WP -- Fearday. LP -- Wernsing.

Windsor/Stewardson-Strasburg -- Wernsing, single

St. Anthony -- Hoene, single, double, 2 RBI; Antrim, single, 2 doubles, 3 RBI; Tingley, single, 1 RBI; Webb, single, 1 RBI; Walsh, single, 1 RBI; Niebrugge, double, 1 RBI; Mendella, single