St. Anthony, South Central To Meet For NTC Baseball Championship After Winning Wednesday

The Bulldogs and Cougars will meet at noon Saturday for the championship while Windsor/Stewardson-Strasburg and Altamont square off for third place at 10 a.m. Both games will be played at Beecher City High School and can be heard on 979XFM.

South Central 3, WSS 2

Windsor/Stewardson-Strasburg put runners on base through the first three innings of the contest but couldn't bring them home. Meanwhile South Central struck in the second, scoring a run.

The Hatchets' Seth Rincker singled in the first inning and was taken out on a fielder's choice on a ball hit by Branson Tingley. Tingley was left stranded.

In the second, Kendall Morris reached base on an error and Grayson McCray singled. But South Central toughened up and got the next three batters on ground outs.

The Cougars then dented the plate as Trevan Sidwell led off the frame with a single and Hudson Moore followed with a single. A sacrifice pushed the runners up a base and Sidwell scored on a single by Maddox Robb.

Windsor/Stew-Stras then had singles from Jackson Gurgel and Tingley around a fielder's choice on a grounder hit by Rincker.The bases were loaded but South Central got out ot the frame unscathed on a fielder's choice, a strikeout and a fly ball out.

Finally in the fourth the Hatchets scored and tied the game at 1-1. Morris led off the frame with a single and took second on a wild pitch. With one out, Wyatt Wetherell singled and Gurgel followed with a double that scored Morris. But, once again, the Cougars toughened up as Carter Verdeyen struck out the next batter and the third out came on a ground out.

South Central went up and down in the third and fourth innings. The Cougars put a runner on in the fifth but Windsor/Stew-Stras got out of the frame on a double play.

Windsor/Stew-Stras moved ahead with a run in the sixth. Morris led off with a solo home run. McCray followed with a single but three straight strikeouts ended any further threat.

Then in the bottom of the frame, South Central struck. With two outs, Colten Smith drew a walk. Sidwell followed with a single. Moore drew a walk to load the bases. Evan Hoover came to bat and hit a ball that went for an error and both runners scored and South Central held the 3-2 lead.

In the seventh, Windsor/Stew-Stras attempted to rally. Seth Rincker led off with a single but a grounder hit by Tingley went for a fielder's choice as did the next grounder hit by Ben Bridges. With two out, Sidwell got the final out on a strikeout and that's where the game ended.

Sidwell led South Central with a single and double while Robb had a single and an RBI. The Hatchets outhit the Cougars by an 8-4 count.

Sidwell also led the Cougars on the mound. He went the distance, allowing eight hits, one walk while striking out eight.

At Farina

Windsor/Stew-Stras                 000    101    0    --    2-8-1

South Central                           010    002    x    --    3-4-2

WP -- Sidwell. LP -- Verdeyen.

Windsor/Stewardson-Strasburg -- Gurgel, single, 1 RBI; Rincker, 2 singles; Tingley, single; Morris, home run, 1 RBI; McCray, 2 singles; Wetherell, single

South Central -- Sidwell, single, double, Moore, single; Robb, single, 1 RBI

St. Anthony 16, Altamont 6

St. Anthony finished with 13 hits and ended this game in the fifth via the 10-run rule, 16-6 Wednesday.

The Bulldogs struck quickly, taking a 4-0 lead in the second inning. Both teams went up and down in order in the first.

The Bulldogs then moved ahead in the second as Aiden Lauritzen led off the frame reaching base on an error. He stole second. With one out, Henry Brent singled Lauritzen home. Alex Mayer drew a walk that was followed by a double off the bat of Rogan Allen and that scored two runs. With two outs, Will Fearday singled and Brady Hatton reached on a walk. But the Indians got out of the frame without further damage with a pitcher to second base to shortstop fielder's choice.

Altamont came back to pull within 4-3 in the third inning. Parker Bell led off the frame with a single. With one out, Kade Milleville got an infield single. Brayden Elam then followed with a home run over the right field fence and suddenly the game had turned into a one-run lead for St. Anthony.

But that didn't last long as the Bulldogs answered back in the bottom of the third with two runs to move ahead 6-3. Lauritzen led off with a single. On a grounder by Sam Link, there was an error. A bunt single brought home a run and suddenly the Bulldogs had a 6-3 lead.

St. Anthony then put the contest away with a 10-run fourth. In that frame, Brady Hatton singled, Lauritzen got his third hit of the game, a single that brought home a run, Brent had a double and an RBI, Mayer a single and an RBI, Allen drew a walk and Vincent Vogel singled home a run. Will Feaday was hit by a pitch and Hatton followed with his second hit of the inning, a double that scored two runs. Brock Fearday, who had been silent with the bat up to this point, came through with a three-run homer. Lauritzen got his second single of the inning before a pop fly ended the frame.

Altamont came back with three runs in the top of the fifth. Milleville drew a walk and Elam doubled. Keegan Schultz then singled home both runs. Cooper McManaway drew a walk and Brayden Schnarre singled. But the frame and the game ended on a strikeout.

The Bulldogs had 13 hits led by Brent and Hatton with a single, double and two RBI each, B. Fearday with a home run and three RBI, Lauritzen with four singles and an RBI, Allen with a double and two RBI, Mayer with a single and two RBI and W. Fearday and Vogel with a single and an RBI each. Link added an RBI.

Altamont had eight hits led by Elam with a double, home run and three RBI, Schultz with a single and two RBI and Wagner with two singles.

At Effingham

Altamont                     003        03    --      6- 8-2

St. Anthony                042    (10)x    --    16-13-1

WP -- Tegeler. LP -- Milleville.

Altamont -- Milleville, single; Elam, double, home run, 3 RBI; Schultz, single, 2 RBI; Wagner, 2 singles; Schnarre, single; Bell, single

St. Anthony -- W. Fearday, single, 1 RBI; Hatton, single, double, 2 RBI; B. Fearday, home run, 3 RBI; Lauritzen, 4 singles, 1 RBI; Link, 1 RBI; Brent, single, double, 2 RBI; Mayer, single, 2 RBI; Allen, double, 2 RBI; Vogel, single, 1 RBI