Bulldogs Hand Hearts Two Losses To Clinch City Baseball Series

In the opener, the Bulldogs blanked Effingham 3-0. Aiden Lauritzen kept the Hearts under control, throwing a no-hitter with 11 strikeouts and only three walks.

Meanwhile, St. Anthony had five hits in the contest and made those count, scoring a run in the third and two in the sixth.

With one out, Beau Adams reached base on an error in the third. Lauritzen was hit by a pitch. With two outs, Connor Roepke hit a fly ball to left field that scored Adams.

The Bulldogs rumbled again in the fifth but couldn't bring runners home. But in the seventh, the Bulldogs tallied two runs to move ahead 3-0. With one out, Henry Brent singled. A grounder was the second out but Adams followed with a double that scored Brent. Adams came home on an error on a ball hit by Larutizen and the Bulldogs finished with the 3-0 victory.

Effingham ended with three errors in the contest. Only four runners reached base, all on walks.

Lauritzen and Adams had a double each for the Bulldogs.

In the second game, Effingham held a 2-1 lead in the top of the fifth but the Bulldogs took care of business in the fifth, scoring eight runs for the 9-3 victory and the City Series title.

Both teams went scoreless through the first two innings. St. Anthony then moved ahead with a run in the third. With two outs, Brock Fearday reached base on an error and stole second. Connor Roepke and Brady Hatton had back-to-back singles and Fearday scored.

Effingham came back with two runs in the fifth to take a 2-1 lead. Spencer Fox singled with one out. With two outs, Brayden Verdeyen singled and Jude Traub was hit by a pitch. Kaiden Nichols then followed with a single that scored both runners.

But that lead was short-lived as St. Anthony retaliated with eight runs in the bottom of the fifth. Adams had an infield single and Lauritzen followed with a double. B. Fearday hit a double, scoring two runners. Fearday came home on a double by Roepke. Brady Hatton then followed with a home run and the Bulldogs led 6-2. Link drew a walk, Brent reached on an error and Max Koenig followed with a single. Adams had an RBI on a fly ball. Lauritzen drew a walk and B. Fearday hit a single to score a run and when the dust cleared, St. Anthony held a 9-2 lead.

The Hearts tallied one more run in the fifth as Nichols drew a walk and came home on a single by Raddatz.

A traveling plaque, in honor of former Effingham Daily News sports editor Sam Rickelman, was given to St. Anthony as the winning team of this year's City Series.

The St. Anthony seniors were honored Thursday with all the seniors' dads throwing out the ceremonial first pitch to their senior sons.

The final game will be contested tonight at 7 p.m. Listen on 979XFM.

At Paul Smith Field

Game One

Effingham                    000    000    0    --    0-0-3

St. Anthony                 001    002    x    --    3-5-0

WP -- Lauritzen. LP -- Keoberlein.

Effingham -- no hits

St. Anthony -- Lauritzen, double; Adams, double, 1 RBI; Roepke, single, 1 RBI; Link, single; Brent, single

Game Two

Effingham                   000    020    1    --    3- 8-2

St. Anthony                001    080    x    --    9-11-0

WP -- B. Fearday. LP -- Raddatz.

Effingham -- Nichols, single, 1 RBI; Raddatz, 2 singles, 1 RBI; Braddy, single; Fox, 2 singles; Verdeyen, 2 singles

St. Anthony -- Adams, 2 singles, 1 RBI; Lauritzen, double; B. Fearday, double, 2 RBI; Roepke, single, double, 1 RBI; Hatton, 2 singles, home run, 23 RBI; Link, single; Koenig, single