MT. ZION, Ill. — Down early. Led late.
That was the story for the Effingham softball team in the first game of a doubleheader against Mt. Zion on Saturday at McGaughey Elementary School Softball Field.
The Flaming Hearts (3-3, 0-1 Apollo) took the first lead of the contest, scoring twice in the first after a double by Sidney Donaldson plated Raegan Boone and Jerzi Bierman.
The Lady Braves, though, responded, scoring five runs in the bottom of the first.
Chloe Williams tied the game with a two-run double. Karlie Teel then gave Mt. Zion the lead with a two-run double herself that scored Williams and Audri Johnson, and Teel then stole home to equal the score at the end of the first.
Lady Braves pitcher Ella Fink then retired the side in order before Williams hit a three-run home run in the bottom of the second to increase the lead to six runs, 8-2.
EHS chipped away at the lead, however.
The Hearts scored once in the third when Boone stole home. They scored five in the fourth — four of which came off a grand slam by Bierman.
EHS then took the lead in the top of the sixth when Alyssa Martin scored on a wild pitch.
But Mt. Zion had the last laugh, plating two runs in the bottom of the sixth when Williams hit her second home run.
Williams finished with three hits and six RBIs. Teel and Savanna Beiler had two hits, and Addy Rotz, Johnson, Joelie Shafer, and Addi Niles had one.
Fink allowed 10 hits, eight earned runs, and two walks to nine strikeouts.
Natalie Armstrong pitched for the Hearts. She allowed 11 hits and two walks to one strikeout.
Donaldson led EHS at the plate with three hits. Boone had two, and Bierman, Armstrong, Saige Althoff, Bria Beals, and Martin had one.
Hearts late surge not enough in Game 2 loss
The second game of the doubleheader was far different than the first.
The Hearts (3-4, 0-2 Apollo) scored six of their seven runs in the seventh inning in their 10-7 loss to the Lady Braves.
Bierman had three hits (one home run, one double) and two RBIs. Armstrong had two hits (two home runs) and two RBIs. Mya Harvey had two hits. Madi Kirk had two hits. Boone had one hit, and Althoff had one hit (one double).
Althoff also pitched, allowing nine hits, 10 runs (seven earned), and two walks to five strikeouts in six innings.
Below are other scores from around the area.
SOFTBALL
Newton 7, Teutopolis 0
Newton defeated Teutopolis, 7-0, in the Vandalia Tournament.
Bailee Frichtl, Sally Mahaffey, and Camryn Martin had two hits, and Lexie Grove, Audrie Reich, and Allie Hermann had one for the Lady Eagles (10-1).
Avery Mulvey and Amelia Collins pitched for Newton. Mulvey allowed two hits and one walk to nine strikeouts in 5 1/3 innings. Collins had two strikeouts in 1 2/3 innings.
As for the Lady Shoes (8-6), Olivia Hemmen and Mallory Bloemer collected hits.
Hemmen and Jersey Gaddis pitched. Hemmen allowed seven hits, five runs, and three walks in four innings. Gaddis allowed two hits, two runs, and two walks to one strikeout in two innings.
Newton 12, Vandalia 1
Newton defeated Vandalia, 12-1, in the fourth game of the Vandalia Tournament.
Reich had three hits. Fritchl, Collins, Mackenzie Holder, and Macy Barthelemy had two, and Hermann, Jailyn Hall, and Hydi Bierman had one for the Lady Eagles (9-1).
Karly Deckard pitched and allowed three hits and two unearned runs with 11 strikeouts in five innings.
Teutopolis 5, Mt. Vernon (H.S.) 3
Teutopolis defeated Mt. Vernon, 5-3, in the third game of the Vandalia Tournament.
Olivia Copple, Chloe Hoene, Malea Helmink, CJ Apke, and Summer Wall had hits for the Lady Shoes (8-5).
Alyssa Tipton pitched and allowed five hits, three runs, and three walks to eight strikeouts in six innings.
Newton 5, Mt. Vernon (H.S.) 1
Newton defeated Mt. Vernon, 5-1, in the second game of the Vandalia Tournament.
Grove had three hits. Frichtl had two, and Mulvey, Lilly Kessler, and Martin had one for the Lady Eagles (8-1).
Collins pitched and allowed six hits, one run, and one walk to four strikeouts in seven innings.
Teutopolis 16, Vandalia 1
Teutopolis defeated Vandalia, 16-1, in the first game of the Vandalia Tournament.
Kayleigh Zerrusen had two, and Hoene, Olivia Roley, Helmink, Hemmen, Korynn Westendorf, Wall, and Olivia Wermert had one for the Lady Shoes (7-5).
Helmink pitched and allowed two hits, one run, and two walks to six strikeouts in three innings.
Farina (South Central) 18, Odin 4
South Central defeated Odin, 18-4, in the second game of the South Central Round Robin.
Kaitlyn Swift had four hits. Kinley Swift and Lauren Johnson had three. Taegan Webster, Zoey Feldhake, and Abi Shuler had two, and Amelia Montes, Kinlee Thompson, and Brianna Buchanan had one for the Lady Cougars (7-4).
Johnson pitched and allowed four hits, four runs, and one walk to four strikeouts in five innings.
Carlyle 4, Farina (South Central) 0
South Central fell to Carlyle, 4-0, in the first game of the South Central Round Robin.
Feldhake had two hits, and Kyra Swift and Thompson had one for the Lady Cougars (6-4).
Webster pitched and allowed three hits, four runs, and 10 walks to 10 strikeouts in six innings.
BASEBALL
Effingham (H.S.) 7, Mt. Zion 2
Effingham defeated Mt. Zion, 7-2, in the second game of a doubleheader at Evergreen Hollow Park.
Camden Raddatz had three hits, and Kaiden Nichols, Braxton Lewis, Kaden Koeberlein, Brody Boehm, and Jude Traub had one for the Flaming Hearts (8-1, 2-0 Apollo).
Colton Webb and Traub pitched for EHS. Webb allowed five hits, two runs (one earned), and five walks to eight strikeouts in 6 2/3 innings. Traub pitched 1/3 of an inning.
Effingham (H.S.) 11, Mt. Zion 6
Effingham defeated Mt. Zion, 11-6, in the first game of a doubleheader at Evergreen Hollow Park.
Raddatz and Nichols had two hits, and Spencer Fox, Webb, Lewis, and Brayden Verdeyen had one for the Flaming Hearts (7-1, 1-0 Apollo).
Nichols, Raddatz, and Traub pitched. Nichols allowed two hits, three runs (two earned), and four walks to 10 strikeouts in five innings. Raddatz allowed three hits, three runs, and three walks to one strikeout in 1 1/3 innings, and Traub had one strikeout in 2/3 of an inning.
Teutopolis 15, St. Joseph (S.J.-Ogden) 8
Teutopolis defeated St. Joseph-Ogden, 15-8, in the second game of a doubleheader in Champaign County.
Mick Niebrugge, Mitch Koester, and Jason Kreke had three hits. Davin Worman, Evan Waldhoff, and Zac Niebrugge had two, and Dawson Hoene, Conner Hoelscher, and Joey Niebrugge had one for the Wooden Shoes (6-4).
Gavin Addis and Waldhoff pitched. Addis allowed nine hits, six runs (five earned), and one walk to three strikeouts in five innings. Waldhoff allowed two unearned runs and one walk to one strikeout in two innings.
St. Joseph (S.J.-Ogden) 2, Teutopolis 0
Teutopolis fell to St. Joseph-Ogden, 2-0, in the first game of a doubleheader in Champaign County.
Hoelscher and Brett Kreke had one hit for the Wooden Shoes (5-4).
Austin Borries pitched and allowed seven hits and two runs with five strikeouts in six innings.
Freeburg 10, Louisville (North Clay) 4
North Clay fell to Freeburg, 10-4, in the Freeburg Round Robin.
Carder Walden had three hits, and Cayden Craig and Ben Czyzewski had one for the Cardinals (4-7).
Walden, Ayden Jones, and Craig pitched for North Clay. Walden allowed four runs and four walks to one strikeout in 1/3 of an inning. Ayden allowed four hits, three runs (two earned) and one walk to one strikeout in 2 2/3 innings, and Craig allowed one hit, three runs, and one walk in three innings.
Louisville (North Clay) 11, Marissa/Coulterville 1
North Clay defeated Marissa/Coulterville, 11-1, in the Freeburg Round Robin.
Craig had three hits. Ian Jones had two, and Cody Zimdars, Walden, Trenton Ingram, Jesse Weidner, Ayden Jones, and Jack Compton had one for the Cardinals (4-6).
Ian pitched and allowed five hits, one run, and one walk to two strikeouts in six innings.
Farina (South Central) 10, Pinckneyville 1
South Central defeated Pinckneyville, 10-1, in Perry County.
Coen West had three hits. Colton Smith, Hudson Moore, Trevan Sidwell, and Max Magnus had two, and Brody Markley and Callaway Smith had one for the Cougars (7-3).
Markley and Sidwell pitched for South Central. Markley allowed two hits, one run, and six walks to five strikeouts in 2 1/3 innings. Sidwell allowed one hit and two walks to four strikeouts in 4 2/3 innings.
TRACK AND FIELD
Warrensburg (W.-Latham) Invitational
The Cumberland boys track and field team finished second at the Warrensburg-Latham Invitational.
The Pirates finished with 84 points. Williamsville was first with 173 1/2. Arthur-Lovington-Atwood-Hammond was third with 76. St. Teresa was fourth with 69. New Berlin was fifth with 53 1/2. Argenta-Oreana was sixth with 29. Warrensburg-Latham was seventh with 25, and Okaw Valley was eighth with seven.
Reid Carlen finished second in the 100 at 11.05 seconds and second in the 200 at 23.19 seconds.
Kaleb Bierman finished second in the 400 at 55.26 seconds. Cameron Roedl finished second in the 800 at 2:11 and third in the 1600 at 4:59.72. Riley Morgan was second in the 3200 at 11:11.34.
Logan Gerhardt won the 300-meter hurdles at 50.22 seconds.
The Cumberland 4×100 team of Gerhardt, Bierman, Cooper Yocum, and Carlen finished fourth at 46.92 seconds. The 4×200 team of Elliot Dryden, Cameron Brown, Yocum, and Cael McMechan was fourth at 1:44.89. The 4×400 team of Gerhardt, Yocum, Bierman, and Morgan was second at 3:47.28, and the 4×800 team of Kade Bradley, Landon Finn, Sawyer Wellbaum, and Quentin Dulong was fourth at 9:56.13.
Lynn Clough was ninth in the shot put after a throw of 36 feet, 5 inches. Mitchell Blade was 10th in the discus after a throw of 106 feet, 8 inches.
Bierman was seventh in the high jump after a leap of 5 feet, 3.75 inches, and Finn was seventh in the long jump after a leap of 17 feet, 9.75 inches.