Effingham Closes Regular Season with Doubleheader Split

The Effingham Hearts closed out the regular season Friday with a doubleheader split with Taylorville, losing the opener 5-4 before bouncing back to win the nightcap 14-4 in a five-inning affair.

In the opener, the Hearts scored two runs in the top of the first, but Taylorville scored three times in the bottom of the frame to take the lead.  Effingham tied the game with a run in the third and took a 4-3 lead in the fifth but Taylorville scored twice in the bottom of the sixth to post the win.

Hope Collier took the loss in two innings of relief after Ciara Kronewitter pitched the first four innings.

At the plate for Effingham, Kelli Utz singled, Brandy Pontious singled, Kaylee Tonn doubled and drove in a run, Deedra Myers singled, Brittany Beals singled twice and doubled and drove in a run, and Courtney White singled.

In the second game, the Hearts put it away early, scoring eight runs in the second inning along with two runs each in the first and third innings to lead 12-0 after three.  Taylorville scored twice in the fourth, but the Hearts bounced back to score twice in the fifth.  The Tornadoes scored two more times in the fifth but still lost due to the 10-run rule when their rally fell short.

Deedra Myers went the first three innings to pick up the win with Kourtney Utz pitching the final two innings.  Myers is 8-2 on the spring.

At the plate for Effingham, Kelli Utz singled twice and tripled, Madison Weis singled twice, Kaylee Tonn singled and drove in a run, Deedra Myers singled twice and drove in two runs, Brittany Beals doubled and drove in a run, Shelby Nunamaker singled, Alexis Osborn singled and drove in a run, Kourtney Utz doubled and singled and drove in a run, and Courtney White singled.

The doubleheader split left the Hearts with a 17-15 record for the regular season.  Effingham begins regional play at Charleston against Charleston on Monday.