Class 2A Softball Sectional

Fillies Advance In Sectional

(article courtesy of the city1.com)

Danielle Stralow only faced 16 Harvard Lady Hornets and struck out 12 of them to lead the Morrison Fillies to a 10-0, 5 inning win Thursday, May 25, 2011. The one Hornet reached on an error as Stralow recorded a no-hitter for the shortened game.

Shannon Finneran started the first innings by reaching on an error and was moved to second with a sacrifice bunt by Marie Deter. Two batters later, Kaitlyn Finneran laced a liner to left field to score her sister and give Danielle Stralow all the runs she was to need to secure the win.

The second inning scoring started with a base on balls to Allie Hanson and a sacrifice bunt by Allie Wiersema who was plated by a single to right by Paula Bush. Shannon Finneran drilled a triple to left center to score Bush and she was sent home by a single off the bat of Marie Deter. Christie Wiersema finished the innings by bouncing a deep fly off the centerfield fence for a two run home run and the score was 6-0 after two innings.

Hanson scored the seventh run in the third inning following a walk and sacrifice bunt and a bloop RBI single by Paula Bush. Two more runs were added in the fourth when Kaitlyn Finneran powered a homer over the leftfield fence with Marie Deter on base and it was all over but the final score. The final run was scored after Allie Wiersema doubled and was moved home on a single by Paula Bush to give the Fillies the 10 run margin and end the game after five innings.

The Fillies played the Riverdale Rams on Saturday, May 28 for the Sectional championship at Byron.

Morrison-1-5-1-2-1-10 Stralow/Deter

Harvard-0-0-0-0-0-0 Brincks/Finke

Fillies To Final Four

(Article courtesy of the city1.com)

The Morrison Fillies did the little things that are necessary to win a close game and advanced to the IHSA Class 2A State Tournament Final Four with a 1-0 victory over Quincy Notre Dame on Monday, May 30, 2011.

Quincy Notre Dame brought a 32-2 record into the Super Sectional at Rock Island and the Fillies knew they had to take advantage of every opportunity on offense and defense to earn a win and advance to Peoria this weekend and they did just that.

In the bottom of the first inning, Marie Deter earned a base on balls and was replaced with Morgan Ammon as a courtesy runner for the catcher. Christie Wiersema sacrificed Ammon to second with a perfect bunt and Kaitlyn Finneran lined a single between the shortstop and third baseman to score a sliding Ammon and the Fillies scored the only run Danielle Stralow needed to subdue the Lady Raiders.

The Fillies were only able to collect one more hit and that was a single to right by Samantha Sumption in the second inning, so the defense had to make the plays to protect the slim lead. The Raiders had runners on first and second in the first but Stralow struck out two and enticed a fly to center ro close out the inning. Again in the second, Quincy had a runner on second with no outs and again Stralow struck out two and got the third out on a grounder to Allie Wiersema at second.

The game telling defense occurred in the fifth when the Lady Raiders collected two hits and had runners on second and third with one out. Quincy’s next batter drilled a line drive that was caught about six inches off the dirt by a diving Kaitlyn Finneran who gathered herself and fipped to second base to get the force out and end the Raider threat.

Stralow retired the last six batters with five infield groundouts and a soft popup to short to give Morrison the Super Sectional Trophy and an invitation to East Peoria for the weekend. Morrison will play the Lady Redskins from Momence High School of the Sangamon Valley Conference at 4:30 p.m. on Friday, June 3, 2011 at the East Peoria Sports Complex.

Class 1A Softball Sectional

Lady Missiles Face Orangeville For Sectional Title

Milledgevilles Courtney Swalve (22) led off the top of the 6th inning with a close call at first. The throw to first was high, pulling the foot of 1st baseman Ana Brown, but the umpire called Swalve out. The play fired up the Lady Missiles, down 3-1, as they rallied for 3 runs to take the lead that they never relinquished. (PA photo/Tom Kocal)

The Lady Missiles hoist their first-ever Sectional Championship plaque after beating Orangeville 4-3. It was a special game for the only 2 seniors on the team, Alexis Daw Tyne (10) and Brianna Herin (33). (PA photo/Tom Kocal)

The Orangeville Broncos jumped out to an early and it seemed insurmountable lead in the first game of the Eastland sectional on Thursday afternoon but the Amboy Clippers had other ideas. The Broncos led by a score of seven to nothing after five and a half innings but Amboy came charging back with five runs in the bottom of the sixth and three more in the seventh to tie the contest at eight runs apiece. He contest would end up going eight innings with the Broncos eventually able to put two runs on the board and hold off the Clippers in the bottom of the inning to escape with the 10-8 win.

Lady Missile 2nd baseman Alexis Daw Tyne (10) completes the 6-4-3 double play in the bottom of the 4th inning. Orangeville led 2-0 at the time. (PA photo/Tom Kocal)

In the sectional’s second game of the day, the Milledgeville Lady Missiles jumped all over Le-Win in the first inning with ten runs and Milledgeville starting pitcher Emily Bush proved that was more than enough as the Lady Missiles topped the Lady Panthers 10-0 in five innings. The Lady Missiles sent fourteen batters to home plate in the first with Morgan Adolph, Bush, Jestine Imel and Courtney Swalve all collecting two runs batted in. Bush tossed a complete game one hitter while walking five and striking out six Le-Win batters. Milledgeville and Orangeville meet for the sectional championship at 11 a.m. on Saturday morning.

Milledgeville-10-0-0-0-0-10

Le-Win-0-0-0-0-0-0

 

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Lady Missiles Eliminated By Red Storm

A United Red Storm base runner scores ahead of the tag by Milledgeville catcher Courtney Swalve. Monmouth (United) went on to take the 8-0 win over the Lady Missiles and advance to play in the state tourney in East Peoria this weekend. (PA photo/Craig Lang)

Lady Missile Alexis DawTyne is safe ahead of the tag by the Red storm’s infielder. The Milledgeville squad was held in check by United’s ace pitcher Katie Bertelsen and fell to the Red Storm 8-0. (PA photo/Craig Lang)

For the first three innings, it looked as if it would be a pitching duel between the Lady Missiles Emily Bush and Monmouth United’s Katie Bertelsen. Neither team seemed to be able to get anything going offensively as hitter after hitter was set down in order.

But in the end, it was Bertelsen and her Red Storm teammates advancing to the state tourney in East Peoria as Monmouth United took the 8-0 victory.

Monmouth United was able to break through in the scoring column in the fourth inning as Bush issued three base on balls capped off by a bases loaded walk to Augusta Chandler to put the Red Storm on the board. Kelsey Crain added a two run scoring double in the inning and that would be all the runs Bertelsen would need. She hurled a one hit gem with the only ball leaving the infield proved to be an Alexis DawTyne single in the fourth inning.

Bertelsen struck out the side in the seventh to secure the win for the Red Storm. She finished the game with nine strikeouts, recently becoming the all time leader in strikeouts and moving just two wins behind Lady Missile head coach Sarah Martz-Spears all time record of 103 wins set from 1997-2000.

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Class 1A Baseball Sectional

Cougars Demolish Bobcats in Sectional Semifinal

The Cougars Brad Dunlap crosses home plate as teammate Mack Byers rounds third on his way home during sectional baseball action in Lena. The Cougars routed the Somonauk Bobcats 13-3. (PA photo/Craig Lang)

The Somonauk Bobcats struck first, putting a run on the board in the top of the opening inning but Eastland struck back with four runs of their own in the bottom of the first and cruised to the five inning 13-3 victory on Thursday in Lena.

Cougar starting pitcher Tyler Giedd settled into a groove and the Eastland bats came alive as the Cougars poured on the runs aided by some costly Bobcat miscues. Eastland has outscored their post season opponents forty one to four, scoring in double figures in each game.

Senior shortstop Brad Dunlap led the Cougars with his bat, going three for three at the plate while Giedd was two for three with four runs batted in. He also notched the victory on the mound, going five innings with five strikeouts.

The afternoon’s second game saw the Freeport Aquin Bulldogs rebound from a one to nothing deficit to come back to score three unanswered runs to take the finale of the semifinal match ups 3-1. The Bulldogs and Cougars meet in Lena at 11 a.m. on Saturday morning for the sectional championship crown.

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Eastland Wins A Thriller

Eastland Cougar starting pitcher Tyler Giedd delivers a pitch during sectional action in Lena. Tyler and the Eastland team took the 13-3 win to advance them to Saturday morning’s sectional championship game against the Freeport Aquin Bulldogs. (PA photo/Craig Lang)

The Freeport Aquin Bulldogs took an early lead on the Cougars and led in each inning except the final score.

Eastland’s Jordan Blair started the game on the mound for the Cougars and staked Aquin to a four to one lead after two innings of play. Sawyer Shaw blasted a two run homer for the Bulldogs to help put them ahead.

The Cougars began their comeback in the fourth, as Blair had a run scoring base hit, catcher Dylan Stichter added an RBI groundout and Zeke Hartman knocked in a pair with a single to knot the contest at four apiece.

Aquin would take back the lead on a base hit by Patrick Schmelzle that scored Zach Gogel and Freeport led 5-4. A two base hit by Adam Feiner gave the Bulldogs a 6-4 lead going into the bottom of the seventh.

Aquin brought in Zach Martin from centerfield in relief of starter Aaron Scibona, The Cougars loaded the bases and Reid Lessman belted a walk off grand slam homer to send Eastland to their second sectional title in the past three seasons. Eastland now faces Streator (Woodland) at 4 p.m. on Tuesday with a trip to the state tourney on the line.

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The Lena Sectional champion Eastland Cougars and coaches proudly pose after accepting their championship plaque on Saturday morning. Reid Lessman’s walk off grand slam home run in the bottom of the seventh propelled Eastland to the 9-6 win. (PA photo/Craig Lang)

Class 1A Baseball Sectional

At Lena

May 26

Eastland 13 Somonauk 3 (5 inn.)

Freeport Aquin 3 Warren/Stockton1

May 28

Eastland 9 Freeport Aquin 6

Class 2A Baseball Sectional

At Byron

May 26

Harvard 2 Stillman Valley 1

Erie/Prophetstown 2 Winnebago 1

May 30

Erie/Prophetstown 2 Harvard 1

Class 1A Softball Sectional

At Lanark

May 26

Orangeville 10 Amboy 8 (8 Inn.)

Milledgeville 10 Le-Win 0 (5 inn.)

May 38 Championship

Milledgeville 4 Orangeville 3

May 30

Monmouth (United) 8 Milledgeville 0

Class 2A Softball Sectional

At Byron

May 26

Morrison 10 Harvard 0 (5 inn.)

Port Byron/Riverdale 6 Forreston/Polo 4

May 30

Morrison 1 Quincy Notre Dame 0

2011 NUIC Softball All-Conference Team

First Team

Marissa Harris, Eastland; Delanie Giedd, Eastland; Taylor Ruter, Eastland; Sophi Morhardt, West Carroll; Taylor Cole, West Carroll; Kaiti Mathey, West Carroll; Laura Melville, Pearl City; Michaela Heinrich, Pearl City; Nicole Winter, Scales Mound/River Ridge; Catie Kuckes, Le-Win; Katelyn Gille, Stockton; Sarah Schultz, East Dubuque; Jenny Heitkamp, Galena

Second Team

Ashley Larak, Eastland; Kim Durward, West Carroll; Katy Cook, West Carroll; Jenna Canon, Pearl City; Logan Skeel, Pearl City; Ashley Brant, Scales Mound/River Ridge; Keeley Schulz, Stockton; Maddie Dower, Stockton; Emily Herbst, East Dubuque; Kelsey beadle, Galena, Samantha McAtee, Galena; Amanda Heitkamp, Galena; Lindsey Decker, Galena; Shelby Hoppman, Galena; Bri Diffenderfer, Le-Win

Honorable Mention

Jessica Sherman, East Dubuque; Abbie Leibold, East Dubuque; Kourtney Larson, East Dubuque; Decca Diffenderfer, Le-Win; Meghan Stichter, Pearl City

NUIC West Final Standings

1-Eastland 14-0,23-8

2-West Carroll 11-2,18-12

3-Galena-9-5,15-8

4-Le-Win 7-7,15-17

5-East Dubuque 6-8,8-13

6-Stockton 4-10,7-20

7-Pearl City 3-11,8-17

8-Scales Mound/River Ridge 1-13,3-21

IHSA Team Academic Achievement Award

The IHSA has announced that two Milledgeville High School winter sports teams earned the IHSA Team Academic Achievement Award for 2010-2011. To qualify for the award team members had to have a cumulative team grade point average of 3.0 or higher. The Girl’s Basketball team achieved a 3.5 total cumulative team grade point average and the Boy’s Basketball team achieved a 3.26 total cumulative team grade point average. Each team will be recognized with a nameplate on the MHS Academic Achievement plaque and will also be listed in the 2011-2012 State Final Program for their sport. It is rewarding to see teamwork both in competition and in the classroom.

West Carroll Sports Physicals

The West Carroll sports physical dates for the 2011/2012 seasons have been set as follows: Wednesday, June 1st fro 1-3 p.m. at FHN Family Healthcare Center in Mt. Carroll and Tuesday, July 26th from 3-5 p.m. at FHN Family Healthcare Center in Savanna.

West Carroll Track News

The following West Carroll Thunder track team members have earned 2011 All-Conference Awards: Trelawney Baisden, Jason Bracero, Jeff Casey, Lindsay Dauphin, Tyler French, Aliesha Handel, Marcus Klein, Maria Timm, Payton Nevills, Liz Conroy, Sam Quintana, Megan Wilkinson, Tyler Rockwood, Kaylee Vos and Austin Sanders. The West Carroll Thunder Girl’s Track team has received the NUIC Team Sportsmanship Award from the IHSA for the 2010-11 season.

Forreston Hires New Girl’s Varsity Basketball Coach

Forreston High School is pleased to announce that Mr. Tim Bukoski will be the new girl’s varsity head basketball coach. Mr. Bukoski is joining the Forrestville Valley coaching staff with over ten years of experience at the varsity level, most recently as head girl’s basketball coach at Belvidere High School.

During his high school coaching career, Coach Bukoski has compiled a 155-126 record. He has also coached teams to a conference championship title, four regional championship titles and two sectional finals. He was named IBCA District 10 Coach of the Year in 2008 while the head coach at Hononegah High School where he led the Lady Indians to a regional championship title.

Dr. Lowell Taylor, Forrestville Valley Superintendent said, “I look forward to both Tim Bukoski’s experience and class in the program. His support of high standards and interest in keeping the entire program competitive is a fitting continuance of the Forrestville Valley tradition.” Mr. Travis Heinz, Forreston Jr./Sr. High School Principal said, “Coach Bukoski will bring strong passion and excitement to our already well established girl’s basketball program. We are excited to have an experienced head coach who will focus on utilizing the game of basketball as an opportunity to build a selfless, yet demanding approach to the players self development. By having Tim Bukoski as our head coach, I am confident we will continue the proud tradition of girl’s basketball at Forreston High School.” Ms. Amy Busch, Activities Director at Forreston Jr./Sr. High School states, “Tim Bukoski is a highly experienced and successful coach. He will bring a professional approach to the game on and off the court. He understands the commitment and responsibilities of the head coaching position. Coach Bukoski will stress fundamentals of the game as essential skills in player improvement. More importantly, will be his approach to the improvement of the person.” Tim Bukoski states, “I feel very fortunate to have this opportunity and am looking forward to continue building on the proud tradition not only of Forreston girls’ basketball but athletics in general at Forreston High School.

Coach Brinker has set a very solid foundation for the program on and off the court. It is an honor to be chosen to lead such a program of high standards that has been se on and off the court. After meeting with the administration (Dr. Taylor, Mr. Heinz and Ms. Busch). I know why Forrestville Valley Schools and athletics have so much respect and integrity.

Cougars Punch Their Ticket To State

The Eastland Cougars battled the Streator (Woodland) Warriors on Tuesday afternoon, May 31, at Benedictine University in Lisle with a trip to the state tournament in Peoria on the line. Starting pitchers Tyler Giedd and Mason Erschen battled back and forth for the first three innings with neither team able to generate any offense.

The Warriors finally were able to snap the scoreless tie in the top of the fourth frame on a base hit by Alex Bullard, a base on balls to Kyle Alessi and a double to left field by Alec Dutko that scored both Bullard and Alessi.
The Cougars countered with a pair of runs in the bottom of the same inning on a single by Giedd, who was replaced on first by courtesy runner Ty Hartman and base hits by Reid Lessman and Chase Wilhelms. A two out single by Jordan Blair plated both Hartman and Lessman to knot the score at two runs apiece.

Eastland took the lead in the bottom of the fifth inning as Blair singled to right. A two base error on rightfielder Josh Long sent Blair to third base. He would cross the plate with the go ahead run on a wild pitch by Erschen. Centerfielder Mack Byers reached first on an error by third baseman Bullard and Long’s second error of the inning plated Byers making the score Eastland four and the Warriors two.

The top of the sixth frame started with a Nate Roemer double and he advanced to third base on an error by third Baseman Reid Lessman on Ryan Starkey’s grounder. Roemer would cross home plate on a failed pick off attempt by Giedd with Starkey taking third base. Starkey later scored on a ground out by Dutko to knot the game at four.
The bottom of the sixth inning began with a Jordan Blair base on balls. After advancing to third on two straight outs, Zeke Hartman punched a base hit to right field that put the Cougars ahead five to four and Eastland was three outs away from a second trip to the state tourney in the past three seasons.

Tyler Giedd went to work in the seventh, striking out Erschen and Connor Kaminke. A two out single from Andrew Katcher kept the Warriors hopes alive, but Giedd got Bullard to ground out to shortstop Brad Dunlap for the final out of the game. Giedd finished the game with a four hitter, walking four and striking out eleven.
The Cougars now move on to O’Brien Field in Peoria to face the Goreville Blackcats on Friday, June 2nd at 9 a.m.

(19-10) Streator (Woodland) - 0-0-0-2-0-2-0-4-4-5
(24-5) Eastland - 0-0-0-2-2-1-X-5-6-3
WP: Giedd 7IP, 4R, 2ER, 4H, 4BB, 11K
LP: Erschen 6IP, 5R, 2ER, 6H, 2BB, 4K
2B: Woodland: 2 (Dutko, Roemer)
Eastland: 1 (Byers)