Hearts Lose in State Semifinal Baseball Game

Left to right in the photo: Kaden Koeberlein, Jack Harper, Coach Curran McNeely, Myles Maxedon, Quest Hull

The Effingham Hearts lost 9-1 to Grayslake Central Friday at the State 3A Baseball Tournament in Joliet. 

The Hearts, now 22-16, will play for third place at 9am on Saturday.

Effingham couldn’t get its bats going against Grayslake’s Will Schufreider, not coming up with a hit until Kaden Koeberlein’s RBI single in the sixth inning. 

Schufreider went 5-2/3 innings, allowing one run on just one hit. He walked just one against six strikeouts. 

Meanwhile, the Hearts’ Kaiden Nichols struggled with his control early, hitting two batters and issuing three walks in his three innings of work, along with giving up three runs on three hits. 

A reminder that the Hearts will return to Effingham following the third place game, arriving about 4pm. There will be a procession from the US 45 (3rd Street) interchange into downtown and traveling along Washington to Jefferson Avenue to Henrietta Street to the school

A reception for the team is planned for Sunday afternoon after another procession along the same route at 2pm. 

At the plate for Effingham: Kaden Koeberlein single, RBI; Quest Hull walk; Myles Maxedon hit by pitch; Colton Webb single; Spencer Fox double; Kaiden Nichols walk, run scored

On the mound for Effingham: Kaiden Nichols 3 innings pitched, three runs, three hits, three walks, two hit batsmen, one strikeout; Quest Hull 1-1/3 innings pitched. Five runs, four hits, three walks, one strikeout; Andrew Donaldson 2/3 inning, one run, two hits, one strikeout; Jack Harper 1 inning pitched, one strikeout