St. A Moves Into Sectional Championship With Win; WSS Season Comes To Close

The game was over quickly and propelled Effingham St. Anthony into the Class 1A Sectional softball championship game for the first time since 2013.

The Bulldogs blanked Hutsonville/Palestine 10-0 in five innings Tuesday at Bulldog Field.

St. Anthony banged out 13 hits in the contest while Lucy Fearday was stellar on the mound. Fearday went five innings allowing one hit, no walks while striking out eight.

Fearday allowed only two runners on base during the contest, the leadoff hitter in the first when she was hit by a pitch and Izzy Sheets in the fourth with the lone hit, a double.

Meanwhile, St. Anthony struck in the first inning, scoring one run. Cameron Rios led off with a single and was busy on the bases, stealing second, taking third on a wild pitch and coming home when Addie Wernsing struck out but the ball was in the dirt and the catcher threw to first for the first out of the inning and Rios came home.

The Bulldogs were quiet in the second with only a single by Madeline Kibler and she was left stranded.

But St. Anthony tallied three in the third. With one out, Rios singled again and went to second on an error. With two outs, Haley Niebrugge singled and Rios took third. Fearday then produced a single, scoring Rios. Madeline Kibler came through with a double and an RBI.

The Bulldogs then tallied six runs in the fourth to end the contest. Staci Vonderheide opened the frame with a bang, hitting a solo shot. With one out, Alexis Stephens tripled and came home on a third single by Rios. Addie Wernsing followed with an RBI single and Haley Niebrugge also singled home a run. Fearday doubled and Madeline Kibler singled home two runs.

By the time the dust had cleared, the Bulldogs scored six runs and ended the game via the 10-run rule.

Hutsonville/Palestine finshed the season with a 13-2 record.

St. Anthony advances with an 18-8 record for Coach Makayla Walsh. The Bulldogs will now travel to Casey-Westfield for a 4:30 p.m. contest Thursday and the sectional championship.

If the Bulldogs should win Thursday, they will compete in the Johnston City Super-Sectional Monday against either Marissa or Steeleville. Marissa downed Goreville, 6-3 Tuesday while Steeleville was a 15-9 winner over Marion (Crab Orchard).

Class 1A Sectional

Hutson./Pales.          000    00    --       0- 1-5

St. Anthony               103    6x    --    10-13-0

WP -- Fearday. LP -- Sheets.

Hutsonville/Palestine -- Sheets, double

St. Anthony -- Rios, 3 singles; Wernsing, single, 1 RBI; Niebrugge, 2 singles, 1 RBI; Fearday, single, double, 1 RBI; M. Kibler, 2 singles, double, 3 RBI; Vonderheide, home run, 1 RBI; Stephens, triple

At Casey

Casey-Westfield played host to Windsor/Stewardson-Strasburg and claimed a 4-0 victory Tuesday.

The Warriors will now face St. Anthony for the sectional championship Thursday at 4:30 p.m.