North Clay/Clay City Reaches the 1A Semifinals

The North Clay/Clay City Cardinals have reached the Final Four of Class 1A baseball with an 8-3 win Monday over Steeleville.

The super sectional game was heard on 979XFM and www.979xfm.com. 

The Cardinals will play at noon Friday in semifinal action against LeRoy at Dozer Park in Peoria, and we will have the game here.

North Clay/Clay City was trailing 1-0 when they came to bat in the bottom of the first inning, but quickly took a 2-1 lead. With one out, Logan Fleener singled. After the second out, Brady Ingram doubled home Fleener, then Donnie Zimmerman drove in Fleener with a single. 

The Cardinals added three runs in the second inning. Dakota Weidner led off the inning with a base hit, but was erased in a double play. Bryton Griffy then singled, Collyn Ballard walked and Fleener tripled and North Clay/Clay City was up 5-1. 

The Cardinals added a run in the fourth when Ballard walked, stole a base and went to third on a wild pitch, then came home on a sacrifice fly by Holden Clifton to make it 6-1.

The Cardinals scored two more runs in the sixth. With one out, Ballard was hit by a pitch then was doubled home by Clifton. A balk and a wild pitch brought Clifton home with the final run.

Steeleville scored single tallies in the sixth and seventh, but the Cardinals came away with the five-run win.

Carson Burkett went the first 5-2/3 innings for the Cardinals and posted the win, allowing two runs on six hits and four walks while striking out six. Holden Clifton pitched the final 1-1/3 innings, allowing an unearned run and walking one with one strikeout. Reid Harriss took the loss for Steeleville, who closed out their season at 21-3.

At the plate for North Clay/Clay City: Collyn Ballard--two walks, hit by pitch, three runs scored...Logan Fleener--triple, single, two runs scored, RBI...Holden Clifton--two singles, 3RBI...Brady Ingram--double, single, RBI...Alex Boose--run scored...Donnie Zimmerman--single, RBI...Carson Burkett--two singles...Dakota Weidner--single...Bryton Griffy--single, run scored

North Clay/Clay City keeps setting new records with each victory for most wins in a season. The Cardinals are now 31-6 on the season.