Hearts Softballers Claim Regional Win

The Effingham Hearts made their first postseason step a successful one.

Effingham came from behind to post a 9-5 win over host Rantoul at the Class 3A Girls Softball Regional. Effingham will play for the regional championship Saturday.

The two squads went scoreless through the first two innings before Rantoul tallied three runs in the top of the third. The Hearts pulled back within 3-2 in the bottom of the frame. Rantoul then pushed farther ahead with a run in the fourth. But the Hearts rallied to tie the score at 4-4 in the bottom of the inning.

Then in the fifth, EHS broke the game wide open, scoring five runs. The Hearts had nine hits in the contest while Rantoul finished with eight errors.

Carsyn Fearday, Aly Armstrong and Hope Collier had two singles and an RBI each. Lauryn Douthit had a single and drove in two runs.

Armstrong picked up the pitching win on a seven-hitter with one walk and eight strikeouts to improve to 15-3.

The Hearts advance to the championship game Saturday at 10 a.m. and will face Clinton.

At Rantoul

Rantoul              003    100    1    --    5-7-8

Effingham          002    250    x    --    9-9-5

WP -- Armstrong. LP -- Jordahl.

Rantoul -- Mosley, single; Smith, single, 1 RBI; Tater, single, 1 RBI; Morman, single; Taticek, single; Andrews, single, double, 1 RBI

Effingham -- Fearday, 2 singles, 1 RBI; Collier, 2 singles, 1 RBI; Wright, single; Schafer, single; Armstrong, 2 singles, 1 RBI; Kersey, 1 RBI; Douthit, single, 2 RBI

Class 1A New Athens Sectional

Lebanon handed Clay City a 6-0 loss to end the Wolves' season.

In the second contest, New Athens beat Edwards County (Albion), 8-1.

Lebanon and New Athens meet for the sectional championship Saturday at 11 a.m.