EFFINGHAM — You can never bet against a quality lineup.
That was the case for the St. Anthony softball team Saturday afternoon in the first game of a doubleheader against Breese (Mater Dei) at Bulldog Field.
The Bulldogs (10-0) walked off the Lady Knights, 7-6, after senior catcher Maddie Kibler laced a base hit, plating Addie Wernsing and Abbi Hatton.
“(That) goes to show the kind of grit we have,” head coach Makayla Taylor said after the win. “I want big plays like that. I think she’s meant to (be in) situations like that. I think there’s no pressure for her; she’s just ready to hit.”
St. Anthony trailed 6-4 heading into the bottom of the seventh.
The good news, though, was the top of the lineup was due.
Eastern Illinois recruit Adysen Rios started the inning with a base hit. Wernsing then scored the leadoff hitter on a double.
Hailey Niebrugge then struck out for the first out of the frame before Hatton worked a walk.
Sydney Kibler then advanced both runners up one base on a groundout to the shortstop, leading to twin sister Maddie’s walk-off hit.
The Bulldogs finished with 10 hits in the game off Western Illinois recruit Audrey Clark.
“We cranked up the pitching machine and tried to 60-65 miles per hour and see what that was like. I thought they did a really good job and had some quality at-bats in there; really adjusted to making her work in the circle,” Taylor said.
Rios had three hits. Wernsing, Niebrugge, and Hatton had two, and Maddie Kibler had one.
Sydney Kibler pitched for the Bulldogs and allowed 10 hits, six runs (four earned), and one walk to six strikeouts in seven innings.
St. Anthony dominates Game 2 behind nine extra-base hits
Unlike the first game, the second was more lopsided in St. Anthony’s favor, as the Bulldogs defeated Mater Dei 15-7.
Hatton had four hits (one double and one home run), Rios had two (two doubles), Niebrugge had two, Maddie Kibler had two (one double), and Julia Schultz had two (one double and one home run). Stacie Vonderheide had one hit, and Sydney Kibler had one (one double).
Wernsing and Sydney Kibler pitched for the Bulldogs. Wernsing allowed eight hits, six runs, and two walks to six strikeouts in four innings. Kibler allowed two hits, one run, and one walk to two strikeouts in three innings.
Effingham baseball drops a pair to Mahomet-Seymour
Kaiden Nichols pitched a gem in the first game of a doubleheader for Effingham against Mahomet-Seymour, but the Bulldogs still found a way to win.
Nichols allowed three hits, one unearned run, and one walk to 10 strikeouts in 6 1/3 innings.
Having to exit the game due to hitting the pitch limit, Mahomet took advantage, working the bases loaded before Gavin Bailey hit a go-ahead grand slam to give the Bulldogs a 4-3 lead that they wouldn’t relinquish in their come-from-behind victory.
Bailey finished with two hits in the game.
Kaden Koeberlein finished with two hits for EHS (9-4, 2-2 Apollo), and Nichols, Spencer Fox, Colton Webb, and Braxton Lewis had one.
The Hearts then went on to lose the second game in five innings, 12-1.
Nichols, Fox, and Camden Raddatz had one hit for EHS.
Webb, Carter Braddy, and Raddatz pitched. Webb allowed six hits, six unearned runs, and three walks to five strikeouts in three innings. Braddy allowed four hits, six runs (four earned), and three walks in 2/3 of an inning, and Raddatz allowed one hit with one strikeout in 1 1/3 innings.
Below are other scores from around the area.
BOYS TENNIS
Troy (Triad) Invitational
Effingham (H.S.) 3, East Peoria 2
Effingham defeated East Peoria, 3-2, in the Troy (Triad) Invitational to win the flight’s championship.
In singles matches, Blake Hagler (E) fell to Connor Watson (EP) 0-6, 0-6, and Dirk Essegern (E) fell to Evan Kahl (EP) 0-6, 0-6.
In doubles matches, Blayne Pals and Ross Schaefer (E) beat Nathan Teaney and Max Lovell (EP) 6-1, 6-0. Evan Pryor and Preston Siner (E) beat Kahler Paulson and Colin Hiernonimus (EP) 6-2, 6-0, and Cannon Bockhorn and Rece Kinney (E) beat Kenny Hoosen and Xavier Lovin (EP) 6-0, 6-1.
Effingham (H.S.) 3, Marion (H.S.) 2
Effingham beat Marion, 3-2, in the Troy (Triad) Invitational.
In singles matches, Hagler fell to Noah Motsinger (M) 2-6, 6-7, and Essegern fell to Ben Moll (M) 0-6, 0-6.
In doubles matches, Pals and Schaefer beat Dailey Siervers and Ben Marlo (M) 6-3, 6-1. Pryor and Siner beat Nick Ucci and Logan Arnold (M) 7-6, 7-6, and Bockhorn and Kinney beat Kaden Rogowski and Benjamin Nicholaides (M) 6-3, 3-6, 10-5.
Effingham (H.S.) 4, Troy (Triad) 1
Effingham beat Troy (Triad), 4-1, in the Troy (Triad) Invitational.
In singles matches, Hagler beat Logan Rodriguez (T) 6-4, 6-2, and Essegern fell to Devin Maedge (T) 0-6, 2-6.
In doubles matches, Pals and Schaefer beat Bennett Rials and Owen Litteken (T) 6-2, 6-0. Pryor and Siner beat Michael Schram and Logan Williams (T) 6-2, 6-2, and Bockhorn and Kinney beat Noah Bettag and Gabe Frazier (T) 6-1, 6-0.
Mattoon Tournament
Teutopolis finished first, St. Anthony third, and Newton 11th at the Mattoon Tournament.
The Wooden Shoes finished with 34 points, the Bulldogs had 21.5, and the Eagles had 5.5 points.
In the No. 1 singles bracket, Kolten Tabbert (T) finished in third place, defeating Joey Trupiano (STA) 6-1, 6-1, and Charleston’s Adam Rudibaugh 4-6, 6-5, 10-8. He lost to Champaign St. Thomas More’s Hunter Madigan 6-7, 4-6.
Trupiano fell to Lincoln’s Owen Roemer 7-8. Newton’s Isaac Street defeated Paris’ Drake Bartos 7-6, 6-0, lost to Mt. Zion’s Will Shake 2-6, 7-6, 6-10, and beat Roemer 8-0, Flora’s Zaiden Lewis 8-2.
In the No. 2 singles bracket, T-Town’s Myles Stortzum defeated Charleston’s Luke Kennedy 6-2, 6-2, Flora’s Lawson Spicer 6-3, 6-2, Casey-Westfield’s Kellen Sullivan 6-0, 6-1, and Mt. Zion’s Oliver Vanderbourt 6-0, 6-0.
St. Anthony’s Conner Eggars defeated Moroa-Forsyth’s Jessie Singh in the first round, fell to Sullivan 3-6, 6-4, 10-5, defeated Newton’s Kahlin Michl 8-2, and Robinson’s Cody Waggoner 8-1.
Michl fell to Paris’ Hudson Davis 0-6, 1-6, and defeated Mahomet-Seymour’s Lucas Raquel 8-4.
In the No. 1 doubles bracket, Manaye and Evan Mossman beat Salem 6-1, 6-0 in the first round, Champaign St. Thomas More 6-2, 6-2 in the second, T-Town’s Josh and Colin Habing 2-6, 6-4, 10-8 in the semifinal, and Robinson 7-6, 4-6, 7-3 in the championship.
Josh and Colin Habing finished third after defeating Paris 6-4, 6-1 in the first round, Casey-Westifeld 6-0, 6-0 in the second, and Mahomet-Seymour 7-4, 2-6, 10-5 in the third-place match.
Newton’s Wesley Britton and Brennan Bigard fell to Champaign St. Thomas More in the first round and Salem in the consolation first round.
And, in the No. 2 doubles bracket, Oliver Lee and Noah Thompson defeated Lincoln 6-2, 6-1 in the first round, Robinson, 6-2, 6-0 in the second, St. Anthony’s Colin Westendorf and Jackson Schultz 6-2, 6-0 in the semifinal, and Flora 3-6, 6-3, 6-4 in the championship.
Westendorf and Schultz finished third after defeating Moroa-Forsyth 7-5, 6-4, Champaign St. Thomas More 6-1, 6-4, and Paris 6-3, 6-4.
Michael Shamhart and AJ Pitcher fell to Champaign St. Thomas More in the first round and Moroa-Forsyth in the consolation first round.
SOFTBALL
Effingham (H.S.) 9, Mahomet (M.-Seymour) 0
Effingham defeated Mahomet-Seymour, 9-0, in the second game of a doubleheader in Champaign County.
Sidney Donaldson had three hits. Raegan Boone and Mya Harvey had two, and Jerzi Bierman, Natalie Armstrong, and Ryley Engel had one for the Flaming Hearts (6-4, 2-2 Apollo).
Saige Althoff pitched for EHS. Althoff allowed six hits and one walk to eight strikeouts in seven innings.
Effingham (H.S.) 15, Mahomet (M.-Seymour) 0
Effingham defeated Mahomet-Seymour, 15-0, in the first game of a doubleheader in Champaign County.
Boone, Bierman, and Armstrong had three hits. Althoff had two, and Donaldson, Maci Hayes, Madi Kirk, and Alyssa Martin had one for the Flaming Hearts (5-4, 1-2 Apollo).
Armstrong pitched and allowed one hit with five strikeouts in four innings.
Dieterich 5, Sullivan 0
Dieterich defeated Sullivan, 5-0, at Dieterich High School Softball Field.
Lucie Jansen had two hits, and Ella Kreke, Marli Michl, Estella Meinhart, and Callie Faller had one for the Movin Maroons (6-6).
Michl pitched and allowed one hit and three walks to eight strikeouts in seven innings.
Lawrenceville 6, Altamont 5
Altamont fell to Lawrenceville, 6-5, at the South Central Tournament.
Grace Lemke and Sophia Pearcy had three hits, and Laila Hankins, Madison Tonn, Claire Boehm, and Avery Fleeharty had one for the Lady Indians (6-3).
Lemke and Ella Nelson pitched for Altamont. Lemke allowed two hits, four runs (three earned), and two walks to 19 strikeouts in 8 1/3 innings; Nelson allowed one hit in 2/3 of an inning.
Altamont 25, Grayville 5
Altamont defeated Grayville, 25-5, at the South Central Tournament.
Osteen had three hits. Sophia Pearcy had two, and Lemke, Kennedi Schultz, Hankins, Tonn, Brianna Grunloh, Cecelia Pearcy, and Nelson had one for the Lady Indians (6-2).
Nelson pitched and allowed eight hits, five runs (three earned), and two walks to three strikeouts in four innings.
Altamont 1, Robinson 0
Altamont defeated Robinson, 1-0, at the South Central Tournament.
Lemke, Sophia Pearcy, and Hankins had one hit for the Lady Indians (5-2).
Lemke pitched and allowed one hit and six walks to 17 strikeouts in seven innings.
Robinson 12, Farina (South Central) 0
South Central fell to Robinson, 12-0, at the South Central Tournament.
Kyra Swift had two hits, and Kaitlyn Swift, Zoey Feldhake, and Bri Buchanan had one for the Lady Cougars (9-7).
Taegan Webster and Emily Rose pitched for South Central. Webster allowed eight hits, nine runs, and three walks to seven strikeouts in 2 1/3 innings. Rose allowed three hits, three runs (two earned), and two walks in 2 2/3 innings.
Farina (South Central) 9, New Athens 5
South Central defeated New Athens, 9-5, at the South Central Tournament.
Kyra Swift, Feldhake, Abi Shuler, and Buchanan had two hits, and Kaitlyn Swift, Rose, Kinlee Thompson, and Ella Watwood had one for the Lady Cougars (9-6).
Lauren Johnson, Thompson, and Webster pitched for South Central. Johnson had three strikeouts in two innings. Thompson had five hits, five runs (three earned), and two walks to one strikeout in three innings, and Webster allowed one walk to four strikeouts in two innings.
Lawrenceville 13, Farina (South Central) 2
South Central fell to Lawrenceville, 13-2, in the South Central Tournament.
Johnson had two hits for the Lady Cougars (8-6).
Thompson pitched for South Central and allowed 11 hits, 13 runs (seven earned), and two walks to four strikeouts in five innings.
Centralia (Christ Our Rock Lutheran) 15, Cowden (C.-Herrick)/Beecher City 5
Cowden-Herrick/Beecher City fell to Centralia (Christ Our Rock Lutheran), 15-5, in Clinton County.
Ryleigh Sarver and Birgen Schlanser had two hits, and Ruby Stuckemeyer, Macee Rodman, and Adelyn Musson had one for the Bobcats (0-8).
Marissa Summers and Addison Wasson pitched for CHBC. Summers allowed nine hits, 13 runs (10 earned), and eight walks to one strikeout in 4 1/3 innings. Wasson allowed four hits and two runs to one strikeout in one inning.
BASEBALL
Effingham (St. Anthony) 8, Charleston 2
St. Anthony defeated Charleston, 8-2, in Coles County.
Brady Hatton and Henry Brent had two hits, and Beau Adams, Aiden Lauritzen, Brock Fearday, and Sam Link had one for the Bulldogs (8-0-1).
Joseph Tegeler, Nick Ruholl, and Link pitched for St. Anthony. Tegeler allowed four hits, two unearned runs, and two walks to five strikeouts. Ruholl allowed two hits with two strikeouts in one inning, and Link allowed two hits in one inning.
Salem 1, Teutopolis 0
Teutopolis fell to Salem, 1-0, in the second game of a doubleheader in Marion County.
Henry Thompson had one hit for the Wooden Shoes (9-5).
Gavin Addis and Evan Waldhoff pitched for T-Town. Addis allowed four hits and one walk to nine strikeouts in six innings, and Waldhoff allowed one hit, one run, and one walk in 1/3 of an inning.
Teutopolis 8, Salem 1
Teutopolis defeated Salem, 8-1, in the first game of a doubleheader in Marion County.
Devin Kreke, Davin Worman, Austin Borries, Mitch Koester, Waldhoff, Garrett Gaddis, and Brett Kreke had one for the Wooden Shoes (8-5).
Borries and Carter Hoene pitched for T-Town. Borries allowed four hits, one run, and three walks to eight strikeouts in six innings. Hoene allowed two walks to one strikeout in one inning.
Altamont 5, Fairfield 2
Altamont defeated Fairfield, 5-2, at Altamont High School Baseball Field.
Nathan Stuemke had three hits. Kaidyn Miller had two, and Clayton Arnold, Ethan Robbins, and Dillan Elam had one for the Indians (7-4).
Kade Milleville pitched for Altamont and allowed five hits and two unearned runs with 10 strikeouts in seven innings.
Windsor/Strasburg (Stewardson-S.) 16, Mulberry Grove 1
Windsor/Stewardson-Strasburg defeated Mulberry Grove, 16-1, in Bond County.
Charley Spour had three hits. Jackson Gurgel, Branson Tingley, and Derk Friese had two, and Ben Bridges, Kendall Morris, Blayzz and Carter Verdeyen had one for the Hatchets (8-4).
Connor Manhart pitched and allowed three hits, one unearned run, and one walk to five strikeouts in five innings.
Centralia (Christ Our Rock Lutheran) 4, Cowden (C.-Herrick)/Beecher City 3
Cowden-Herrick/Beecher City fell to Christ Our Rock Lutheran, 4-3, at Beecher City High School Baseball Field.
Conner Nowitzke, Carson Evans, and Gage Lorton had two hits, and Wyatt Rueff and Blake Mueller had one for the Bobcats (2-7).
AJ Radloff and Clayton Wojcik pitched for CHBC. Radloff allowed five hits, three unearned runs, and one walk in six innings, and Wojcik allowed two hits, one unearned run, and one walk to two strikeouts in 4 2/3 innings.
Neoga 16, Tri-County 4
Neoga defeated Tri-County, 16-4, at Neoga High School Baseball Field.
Trey Sheehan had three hits. Josiah Gentry and Micah Staszak had two, and Matt Propst, Brock Lanham, Colin Blazich, James Ballinger, and Cayden Hakman had one for the Indians (4-7).
Ballinger pitched and allowed four hits, four runs (two earned), and four walks to 10 strikeouts in 4 2/3 innings.
Farina (South Central) 11, Casey (C.-Westfield) 1
South Central defeated Casey-Westfield, 11-1, in the South Central Round Robin.
Callaway Smith had two hits, and Brody Markley, Colton Smith, Coen West, Zane Montes, and Evan Hoover had one for the Cougars (9-4).
Trevan Sidwell and Chase Guerrettaz pitched for South Central. Sidwell allowed two hits and four walks to five strikeouts in four innings. Guerrettaz allowed two hits and one run to two strikeouts in one inning.
Newton 12, O’Fallon (H.S.) 1
Newton fell to O’Fallon, 12-1, in St. Clair County.
David Ferguson, Drake Wolf, and Isaac Flowers had one hit for the Eagles (7-9).
Dylan Gier, Carson Barthelme, and Max Meinhart pitched for Newton. Gier allowed three hits, four runs, and four walks to two strikeouts in two innings. Barthelme had four hits, five runs (four earned), and three walks to one strikeout in 2 1/3 innings, and Meinhart allowed two hits, three runs, and three walks to two strikeouts in one inning.
Louisville (North Clay) 12, Bridgeport (Red Hill) 1
North Clay defeated Red Hill, 12-1, in Lawrence County.
Carder Walden had three hits. Cody Zimdars, Trenton Ingram, and Jack Compton had two, and Ian Jones, Cayden Craig, Jesse Weidner, and Evan Clifton had one for the Cardinals (5-8).
Compton, Zimdars, and Ayden Jones pitched for North Clay. Compton allowed one hit with four strikeouts in three innings. Zimdars allowed one walk with three strikeouts in two innings, and Ayden allowed one hit and one unearned run in one inning.
Breese (Central) 13, Farina (South Central) 6
South Central fell to Breese (Central), 13-6, in the South Central Round Robin.
Colton Smith and Maddox Robb had three hits. Callaway Smith, West, Montes, and Hoover had two, and Max Magnus had one for the Cougars (8-4).
Markley and Callaway Smith pitched for South Central. Markley allowed five hits, eight runs, and three walks to four strikeouts in four innings. Smith allowed four hits, five runs (four earned), and two walks in three innings.
Farina (South Central) 4, Carlyle 2
South Central defeated Carlyle, 4-2, in the South Central Round Robin.
Markley had two hits, and Callaway Smith, Colton Smith, West, Montes, Hoover, and Magnus had one for the Cougars (8-3).
West and Sidwell pitched for South Central. West allowed five hits, two runs, and two walks to seven strikeouts in six innings. Sidwell threw one inning.