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Baseball campaign comes to an end as Pontiac, Dwight fall in postseason

erich murphy, pontiac daily leader
·4 min read

What might have been turned out to be the end of the road for the 2024 baseball season for Pontiac as it dropped a 10-0 decision to Joliet Catholic in the semifinal round of the Class 3A Pontiac Regional tournament at The Ballpark at Williamson Field on Wednesday, May 22. The Hilltoppers came in as the top seed for the regional and the sub-sectional complex.

Pontiac pitcher Henry Brummel tags out Jose Granados of Joliet Catholic at the plate during their Class 3A regional semifinal game at The Ballpark at Williamson Field.
Pontiac pitcher Henry Brummel tags out Jose Granados of Joliet Catholic at the plate during their Class 3A regional semifinal game at The Ballpark at Williamson Field.

This game looked to be Pontiac’s best chance of possibly winning its first Class 3A regional game since 2019. The Amerinds had Indiana recruit Henry Brummel on the mound. If he could do his job, it would be the offense that would be key. For the most part, Brummel did his job. The hard-throwing senior allowed just two hits — a grounder to the hole between third and short flagged down by shortstop Cayden Brummel, and a bunt single — and one walk in four innings. He set down three on strikes. He allowed just two balls to be hit to the outfield.

Pitcher Ryson Eilts fields a bunt during Pontiac’s regional semifinal game with Joliet Catholic at The Ballpark at Williamson Field.
Pitcher Ryson Eilts fields a bunt during Pontiac’s regional semifinal game with Joliet Catholic at The Ballpark at Williamson Field.

He left after throwing just 54 pitches. Ryson Eilts came on to start the fifth inning. He allowed six runs (all unearned), four hits and struck out one in two-thirds of an inning. Landstrom got out of the inning but gave up a run in the sixth that created the 10-run rule win for Joliet Catholic (27-5).

However, the Hilltoppers took advantage of six PTHS errors. JCA’s defense was also helped by the strong pitching of Jake Gimbel. Pontiac’s offense only posed mild threats in the first and fourth innings by getting two runners on off Gimbel. Gimbel fanned nine and yielded three hits in five innings.

Zechariah Landstrom and Tommy Oestmann each singled with two outs in the first inning for the Tribe, but both were left stranded. Oestmann singled in the fourth inning and Henry DeYoung walked. Again, both runners were left on base.

Second baseman Henry DeYoung makes a throw to first base from his knees in regional baseball against Joliet Catholic.
Second baseman Henry DeYoung makes a throw to first base from his knees in regional baseball against Joliet Catholic.

Pontiac, which last won a Class 3A postseason game in 2016 with a sectional semifinal victory over Geneseo, finished this season at 10-18. Oestmann had two hits and Landstrom had one safety.

Class 1A IWU Sectional

Wethersfield-Annawan 8, Dwight 4 – At Bloomington, it wasn’t meant to be for Dwight as the Trojans saw their 2024 season come to an end at the hands of the Kewanee (Wethersfield)-Annawan co-op Titans at Jack Horenberger Field at Illinois Wesleyan on Wednesday, May 22.

Making its first appearance in a baseball sectional for the first time in a dozen years, Dwight was making itself heard by providing answers to Wethersfield’s overtures. The Titans scored the game’s first run in the bottom of the second inning. But the Trojans responded with a pair of tallies in the third to take the lead. Owen Dunlap singled with one out to drive in Joey Starks, who led off the inning with a base hit. Maddox DeLong scored on a groundout to give DTHS the lead.

Wethersfield got to Dwight starter Luke Gallet for three runs in the last of the fourth inning for a 4-2 lead. DTHS got one run back in the fifth when Wyatt Statler, who led off with a double, scored on a Gallet groundout. The Titans pushed across four runs in the last of the fifth to put the game out of reach. Dwight did chalk up a run in the sixth inning. Evan Cox scored when Tracer Brown hit a grounder to short.

Statler had a double while Starks, Dunlap and Drew Anderson each singled. Gallet took the loss, allowing eight runs (four earned) while striking out five in four-plus innings. Starks finished up, fanning three in two innings.

McDowell — “These guys had a great season, made major improvements over the course of the year, and was a great bunch of kids to coach,” said first-year head coach Jerry McDowell. “They have a lot to be proud of.”

Class 1A Roanoke-Benson Regional

Dwight 5, Roanoke-Benson 3 – At Roanoke, Dwight won its first regional championship since 2012 when it claimed the season series from host Roanoke-Benson on Saturday, May 18. The Trojans had split a doubleheader with the Rockets in March.

Luke Gallet was the man of the hour for Dwight with his bat and his arm. Gallet belted a home run, drove in two runs and scored twice in helping lead the offense. He struck out six and allowed three hits and one run in 5 1/3 innings on the bump.

Gallet scored the game’s first run in the first inning, putting the Trojans ahead, where they stayed the rest of the way. DTHS led 2-0 after one frame. It was a 4-0 game after two innings thanks to Gallet’s roundtripper, that also drove in Wyatt Statler. Ryan Bumpous scored Dwight’s final run, crossing home after a Drew Anderson sacrifice fly in the fourth inning. Tracer Brown had a double and run batted in while Evan Cox and Bumpous each singled.

Gallet allowed a home run in the fourth and Joey Starks gave up two runs in the seventh. Starks fanned four in finishing up.

“These guys never cease to amaze” DTHS head coach Jerry McDowell said. “We keep getting better and better every week. They deserve everything that’s coming to them.”

This article originally appeared on Pontiac Daily Leader: PTHS baseball season concludes with regional loss to Joliet Catholic