Teutopolis Wins Junior High Baseball State Championship

The Teutopolis Wooden Shoes have won the junior high baseball state championship.

Teutopolis outlasted Paris Crestwood 11-8 Saturday afternoon to win the title after defeating Maroa-Forsyth 16-1 in semifinal action Saturday morning.  The Shoes had won their quarterfinal game Friday 2-1 over Carrollton.

The championship game was a wild and wooly affair.  Teutopolis took a 2-0 lead in the first, but Paris scored three times in the top of the second to pull ahead 3-2.  The Shoes answered in the bottom of the frame, though, to move back in front 6-3.  Paris came right back, however, with four runs in the third to pull ahead 7-6.  T-Town scored a pair of runs in both the fourth and fifth innings to take a 10-7 lead and added a run in the sixth to make it 11-7.  Paris scored one more time in the seventh, but came up three runs short.

Teutopolis scored their 11 runs on 13 hits and worked around four errors to claim the win.

Collin Funneman went five innings to post the win, allowing seven runs on nine hits and striking out four.  Lee Hardiek pitched the final two innings, allowing one run on two hits.

At the plate, Cody Jansen singled, doubled and homered and drove in four runs, Collin Funneman singled twice and drove in two runs, Drew Thoele singled twice, Eric Kremer singled and drove in a run, Ethyn Dust singled and doubled and drove in three runs, Jackson Goeckner had three base hits, and Lee Hardiek had three hits and drove in a run.

In the semifinal game, the Shoes put Maroa-Forsyth away early, scoring four runs in both the first and second innings before scoring eight times in the third to end the game after three innings.

Lee Hardiek pitched all three innings for the win, allowing one run on two hits and walking two.

At the plate, Cody Jansen singled, Drew Thoele homered and singled and drove in two runs, Eric Kremer singled twice and drove in a run, Ethyn Dust had three hits and drove in three runs, Jackson Goeckner singled twice and doubled and drove in two runs, Lee Hardiek singled and doubled and drove in two runs and Michael Deters had two hits and drove in four runs.

Kent Niebrugge's crew finished the season with a 19-4 record and a state championship.