St. Anthony, Windsor/Stew-Stras Move Into Sectional Championships

Effingham St. Anthony High School edged Bloomington Central Catholic 2-1 to advance to the championship game of the Class 2A Tolono Unity Softball Sectional Tuesday.

The two teams were tied at 1-1 going into the seventh when a pop-up off the bat of Cameron Rios looked like the game would go into extra innings. But Bloomington Central Catholic's shortstop dropped the ball and Abby Hatton, who had reached base on an error, went home to score the winning run.

Up to that point, both teams had played error-free softball.

The Bulldogs trailed Bloomington Central Catholic after the Saints scored a run in the second inning. Gabi Huric opened the inning with a double. Riley Cook hit a ball for a fielder's choice as St. Anthony threw to third attempting to get Huric. With one out, Ellie Stolfa hit a grounder that scored Huric on a second fielder's choice.

The score stood at 1-0 until the fifth. Lucy Fearday led the Bulldogs off by drawing a walk. With one out, Anna Faber singled. Hatton then followed with a fly ball that scored Fearday.

The Saints had a runner on in the fourth on a double but Emily York was out as Addy Wernsing threw home to catcher Haley Niebrugge to tag York

Central Catholic rumbled again in the fifth inning. The Saints ended up stranding two runners as the first batter was hit by a pitch and Ellie Stolfa singled.

The Bulldogs' Ady Rios singled in the sixth but Central Catholic toughened up to get the next three batters.

Fearday went the distance on the mound for St. Anthony. She allowed one run on four hits, two walks and struck out four.

The Bulldogs advance to the championship game of the sectional Saturday against Tolono Unity. Unity handed Marshall a 3-0 loss in the second game of the day.

Game time is scheduled for 11 a.m. with the winner advancing to the Decatur Millikin University Super-sectional Monday.

Class 2A Tolono Unity Sectional

Central Catholic                010    000    0    --    1-4-1

St. Anthony                       000    010    1    --     2-4-1

WP -- Fearday. LP -- York.

Bloomington Central Catholic -- York, single, double; Huric, double; Stolfa, single

St. Anthony -- A. Rios, single; Faber, single; Hatton, single; Vonderheide, single

At Kinmundy

Two National Trail Conference teams clashed in the Class 1A South Central Sectional Tuesday.

Windsor/Stewardson-Strasburg took a 2-0 first inning lead and went on to beat South Central, 4-1 to advance to the championship game.

The Hatchets took the early lead before the Cougars tallied a run in the third inning to pull within 2-1. But Windsor/Stew-Stras put the game away with two runs in the bottom of the fourth.

Windsor/Stew-Stras had eight hits in the contest led by Ella Kinkelaar with three singles and an RBI and Sam Hayes with a single, double and two RBI. Alaira Friese added a single and an RBI.

Hayes went the distance on the mound, allowing one run on seven hits, three walks and striking out six.

South Central was led by Kinlee Thompson with a single and double, Taegan Webster with a double and an RBI, Jaylyn Michel with a double and Abi Shuler with two singles.

The Cougars finish the season with a 24-10 record.

Windsor/Stras-Stras (17-10) advances to the champoinship game scheduled for Friday at 4 p.m.

Altamont and Casey-Westfield will square off today at 4 p.m. for the right to take on WSS for the title.

Class 1A South Central Sectional

South Central                  001    000    0    --    1-7-0

WSS                                 200    200    x    --    4-8-0

WP -- Hayes. LP -- Webster.

South Central -- Michel, double; Webster, double, 1 RBI; Thompson, single, double; Schuler, 2 singles; Montes, single

Windsor/Stewardson-Strasburg -- Kinkelaar, 3 singles, 1 RBI; Hayes, single, double, 2 RBI; Crey, single; Friese, single, 1 RBI; VonBehrens, single

Class 3A Centralia Regional

Charleston easily handled host Centralia in the 3A Centralia Regional Tuesday.

The Trojans advance to the championship game Friday at 4:30 p.m.

Today's contest features Effingham against Mattoon with the winner heading to the championship game.