Elena Krause, Aubrey Shepherd lead Pontiac to a pair of tourney wins
By Erich Murphy, Pontiac Daily Leader,
2024-04-20Elena Krause and Aubrey Shepherd put Pontiac in a position to play for a tournament championship as the two hurlers pitched PTHS to a pair of wins at the Washington Panther Classic softball tournament Friday.
Krause tossed a one-hitter in shutting out U-High 2-0 in the first game of pool play. She struck out 13 and walked two.
Pontiac managed to crack the scoreboard in the fourth inning with the game’s lone runs. Kendall Pitchford singled to plate Krause and Bailey Masching. Krause had two hits, including a double, while Olivia Lindsay also had a two-base hit. Pitchford and Masching had the other two hits for the Amerinds.
Shepherd ran into one bad inning but got some offensive support to stop Kaneland 4-3 in the second game. Shepherd fanned four and all three runs for the Knights were unearned. They came in the top of the fourth inning.
PTHS, which scored a run in the first inning on a two-out single from Cadence Helms, matched Kaneland with three runs in its turn in the fourth. The go-ahead tally was scored by Adriann Sutton on a steal of home when Maddie Gourley got caught in a rundown. Helms and Pitchford had the two Pontiac safeties.
Pontiac (12-5) was set to face East Moline in the final pool game and then play a crossover contest in the afternoon.
Pontiac 6, St. Joseph-Ogden 2 — At St. Joseph, Krause was on the mark in the circle and got some run support as Pontiac claimed an Illini Prairie Conference victory over host St. Joseph-Ogden Thursday. Krause set down 17 Spartans on strikes while scattering four hits in going the distance in the circle.
Natalie Zimmerman, who had been swinging a hot bat of late, highlighted a four-run sixth inning when she stroked a bases-clearing double to put the Amerinds in the lead. Krause had three hits and drove in a run to help her cause. Masching had two hits while Zimmerman had her three-run double. Gourley also singled.
Pontiac 6, Tolono 0 — At Pontiac, Zimmerman went yard and Krause was collected more safeties than she allowed as Pontiac shut out Tolono (Unity) in an Illini Prairie Conference game at The Diamond at Williamson Field Wednesday. Krause had a triple and double, drove in a run and scored twice for the Amerinds. In the circle, she gave up a hit and struck out 11 in six innings.
Zimmerman belted a home run in the sixth inning to cap the game’s scoring. Zimmerman had two hits and drove in three runs. Helms had a hit and RBI and Gourley and Masching each singled.
Olympia 1, Pontiac 0 — At Pontiac, Olympia manufactured the game’s only run in topping Pontiac in a nonconference contest on April 15. PTHS hurler Krause tossed a two-hitter and struck out 17 in taking the loss. A one-out safety, a sacrifice bunt and a two-out single created the Spartans’ run.
PTHS missed scoring chances in the second inning (bases loaded with two outs), the third inning (leadoff double) and the seventh (tying run left stranded on second). Zimmerman had two hits and Gourley doubled for Pontiac.
Pontiac Twin Bill — Pitching was key as Pontiac scored two wins in a three-team doubleheader at The Diamond at Williamson Field on April 13.
Shepherd allowed one hit and struck out two as PTHS took the opener 5-0. Her run support came from 2-3-4 spots in the order as Krause had a double, single and RBI and Masching and Helms each had two hits and drove in a run. The trio combined to score four runs. Lindsay had a hit and RBI and Gourley had a hit and scored a run.
Krause was unhittable after the first inning as she pitched the Amerinds to a 7-2 victory over Yorkville in the late game. Krause gave up a single and two-run homer in the first inning. She allowed nothing else over the final six frames. Krause finished with 16 strikeouts.
Masching had two hits, including a double, and drove in four runs to lead the Pontiac offense. Helms also had two hits (and a run batted in) and India Mattingly (RBI), Krause and Sutton each had one hit.
Seneca 6, Dwight 0 — At Dwight, only Taylor Heath managed to reach base for Dwight as the Trojans suffered a home loss to Seneca on Thursday. Heath had a double and a single as the DTHS bats were stymied.
Madi Ely took the loss in the circle for Dwight (9-5). She struck out seven in going the distance.
Dwight 16, GSW 3 — At Dwight, the Trojans hit for the cycle in routing archrival Gardner-South Wilmington in a nonconference tilt on Wednesday. DTHS collected 15 hits in four innings at the plate. Njomza Asllani hit the home run, Sarah Parker tripled while Averi Jury, Avery Scheuer, Taylor Frobish and Heath each registered a two-base hit.
The Trojans scored in each of the four innings they batted. Parker had three hits and drove in three runs and Jury collected two hits and four RBIs. Heath also had three knocks, Frobish had two safeties and three RBIs, Scheuer had two hits and two RBIs and Megan Livingston and Ely each singled with Ely also driving in a run.
Heath got the win in the circle, allowing three runs while striking out six. Ely finished up, striking out five in her two innings.
Dwight 11, Putnam County 0 — At Granville, Dwight hurler Ely tossed a no-hitter while Jury and Heath each had three hits and drove in two runs to pace Dwight in a Tri-County Conference win over host Putnam County on April 15. The second contest of the home-and-home set, scheduled for April 16 at DTHS, was stopped in the second inning.
Jury belted a home run and stroked a double and single for the Trojans. Heath also doubled and delivered two singles. Ely helped her cause with two hits and a run batted in. Livingston had two hits while Asllani contributed a hit and two RBIs. Parker and Miranda Bovelle each singled.
Ely struck out 13 and walked four in twirling her no-no.
Dwight Twin Bill— At Fairbury, Dwight came away with a pair of victories in a three-team doubleheader at Prairie Central on April 13.
The Trojans handled host Prairie Central 10-2 in the opener as Ely struck out 15 and scattered four hits. The top four DTHS batters in the lineup each collected two hits with Heath recording a double, single and run batted in. Livingston had two hits and scored four times while driving in a run. Scheuer and Jury each had a pair of hits. Frobish had a hit and two RBIs while Madi Ely and Mikayla Ely each singled.
Prairie Central managed four hits in the loss. Jules Woodrey had a double and drove in a run. Dixie Hogan, Kyah Creek and Lucy Whitfill each singled. Hogan took the loss despite striking out five. Faith Fields fanned four in relief.
Heath was enough wild to keep Peoria Christian in check as DTHS posted a 12-3 victory. Heath walked 10 but registered 14 punchouts in the circle. Heath also had two hits and drove in a run. Jury had two hits, Frobish had a double and three RBIs while Livingston and Scheuer each had a hit and RBI. Bovelle and Asllani each singled.
Tolono 12, Prairie Central 0— At Tolono, the host Rockets took off early and rolled to an Illini Prairie Conference win over Prairie Central on Friday. Dixie Hogan took the loss in the circle. Faith Fields fanned three in finishing up.
Sam Slagel singled for the lone Prairie Central (10-10) hit.
Prairie Central 4, GCMS 3 — At Fairbury, Rylee Galloway singled to open the home-half of the sixth inning. She stole second and took third on an error before scoring on a groundout to help lift Prairie Central past Gibson City-Melvin-Sibley in a nonconference tilt Thursday. GCMS had tied the game at 3-3 in the top of the sixth. Kate Slagel garnered the game-winning RBI for the Hawks.
Galloway had two hits, drove in a run and scored twice to lead Prairie Central. Kyah Creek collected a triple, single and scored twice while Slagel had a hit and drove in two runs. Lydia Kilgus also singled.
Woodrey got the win in the circle, yielding no earned runs and striking out five.
St. Joseph-Ogden 10, Prairie Central 4 — At Fairbury, Prairie Central was unable to keep up with guest St. Joseph-Ogden as the Spartans topped the Hawks in an IPC contest April 15. SJO scored in five of seven innings while Prairie Central managed to score in three frames.
Hogan took the loss for the Hawks, giving up eight run (four earned) while striking out six. Fields struck out four in relief.
Sam Slagel doubled and singled while Rylee Galloway had a hit and two runs batted in for the Hawks. Kyrsten Atkins had a hit and RBI while Hogan, Whitfill and Kate Slagel each singled.
Prairie Central Twin Bill — At Fairbury, the Hawks dropped their opener 10-2 to Dwight (see above) but rebounded for a 23-1 drubbing of Peoria Christian in the late game on April 13.
Prairie Central scored 11 runs in the second inning and added a nine-spot in the fourth. Woodrey went the distance, striking out two in the process. Creek and Sam Slagel led the offense with three hits (each with a double) and three runs batted in apiece. The Hawks chalked up 18 hits. Hogan (including a double) and Galloway each had two hits and three RBIs while Woodrey (including a double) and Atkins each had two hits and two RBIs. Whitfill tripled while Miranda Hari (two RBIs), Fields (RBI) and Kyla Stephens each singled.
Lexington-Ridgeview 6, Heyworth 1 — At Heyworth, Mackenzie Wesson and Makayla Ziegler hit home runs and Belle Payne benefitted from the power surge as Lexington-Ridgeview topped Heyworth in Heart of Illinois Conference play Friday.
Ziegler hit a two-run homer in the third and Wesson went deep with a three-run shot in the fifth for the Minutemen. Emilee Bratcher had two hits while Hailey Foote doubled and Eleana Atkins and Grace Grimsley each singled for Lexington-Ridgeview (10-11).
Payne struck out three in going the distance.
Dee-Mack 12, Lexington-Ridgeview 2 — At Mackinaw, after spotting Lexington-Ridgeview a run in the top of the first inning, host Dee-Mack responded with eight markers in the bottom of the frame and cruised to a HOIC victory on Wednesday. Makayla Ziegler scored the Minutemen run in the first with a solo homer. Ella Sunday had two hits while Josie Thomas had a hit and RBI and Eva McCue and Atkins each singled.
Payne too it on the chin despite fanning three in her 2 1/3 innings. Foote struck out two in finishing up.
Lexington-Ridgeview 13, Fisher 0 — At Lexington, Payne set down a half dozen Bunnies down on strikes and received offensive support from Foote and Wesson as Lexington-Ridgeview shut out Fisher in HOIC play on April 15.
Wesson had three hits, including a double, and drove in four runs for the Minutemen. Foote had three hits and a run batted in. Atkins had a hit and three RBIs, Ziegler had a hit drove in two runs and Brooke Stover had a double and RBI. Allison Epley, McCue and Carlie Mackinson each singled.
Lexington-Ridgeview 16-14, Hoopeston 5-6 — At Hoopeston, the Minutemen scored a doubleheader sweep of Hoopeston on April 13. Epley had a home run, three singles, drove in four runs and scored thrice for Lexington-Ridgeview. McCue also had four hits, including a triple and double, while driving in two and Wesson had three hits and three runs batted in. Ellie Doll had three hits and an RBI while Ziegler homered and drove in two. Grimsley had a double and RBI and Stover had a single and RBI.
Payne and Foote benefitted in the circle as the duo combined for three strikeouts.
Lexington-Ridgeview collected 22 hits in the second game. Bratcher had four hits and four RBIs and Pearce collected four hits and three RBIs to lead the charge. Doll added three safeties and Stover had three hits and two RBIs.
Midland 14, WFC 12 — At Woodland, an eight-run inning highlighted a slugfest, but it also doomed Woodland-Flanagan-Cornell as Midland left with a victory Thursday. The Warriors led by a run before the Timberwolves struck for eight in the fifth. WFC’s late rally fell short.
Shae Simons and Ella Derossett each had three hits and drove in a run to pace the WFC offense. Emma Palaschack recorded a triple, double and three runs scored while Tiffany Rustman had two hits and two runs batted in. Kaiden Connor had a hit and two RBIs while Jaylei Leininger had a base knock.
Lilly Libby took the loss in the circle for WFC (7-7), fanning eight in going the distance.
Seneca 7, WFC 4 — At Seneca, Woodland-Flanagan-Sibley took the lead in the top of the fifth inning, but host Seneca rallied with a five-spot to take the lead for good in the bottom of the frame and went on to post a Tri-County Conference victory on April 15. This was the first of a scheduled home-and-home series. The second game, scheduled for April 16, was stopped due to weather in the bottom of the first inning at Woodland.
Palaschack had three hits, including a home run, to pace the Warriors’ offense. Olivia Chismarick had two hits while Derossett collected a hit and drove in two runs. Connor had a hit and RBI and Shae Simons singled.
Simons took the loss in the circle, fanning six while allowing no earned runs.
Eureka 13, EPG 3 — At El Paso, a seven-run sixth inning pushed Eureka to an HOIC victory over El Paso-Gridley at South Pointe Park Friday. Gracie Sieger took the loss. Striking out one in six innings. Nickelle Cummings fanned two in an inning of relief.
Tori Seggerman had a triple and single while Morgan Seggerman collected a double and single for the Titans (2-9). Isabel Vargas singled.
LeRoy 9, EPG 1 — At LeRoy, despite collecting seven base hits, El Paso-Gridley could only manage one run in falling to host LeRoy in HOIC play Thursday. Tori Seggerman had a double and drove in the Titans’ lone tally.
Morgan Seggerman and Claire Stroh each collected two hits while Tori Seggerman, Vargas and Alexis Elliott had one hit apiece.
Sieger struck out three in taking the loss.
Tremont 14, EPG 3 — At Tremont, El Paso-Gridley was overwhelmed by host Tremont in a Heart of Illinois Conference contest on April 15. Tori Seggerman accounted for the EPG scoring with a three-run homer. Morgan Seggerman and Lexi Schouweiler also had hits. Sieger took the loss in the circle.
EPG 5, Delavan 1 — At El Paso, Vargas had two doubles and drove in three runs to lead El Paso-Gridley past Delavan on April 13. She also scored twice, including the first run of the game. Schouweiler also had two hits while Tori Seggerman had a hit and drove in two runs. Nickelle Cummings also had a hit.
Benefitting was Sieger, who scattered six hits in going the distance.
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