Mother Nature provides cold shoulder for Prairie Central-Lexington contest

FAIRBURY — It was Mother Nature who decided Prairie Central's baseball game with Lexington wasn't going to finish, at least at this time. The Minutemen led by a run when the umpires decided enough sleet had fallen and it was too miserable to continue play on Friday at PCHS.

Despite calling the game with two outs in the second inning, there was still plenty of action on the not-quite-frozen tundra of the PC field. It came after Luke Ifft walked, pushing potential the tying run in JC Spence to second base.

Both sides scored a run in the first inning, and Lexington tallied two markers in the top of the second as the wind played havoc on the ball in the air. Drake Powell's base hit to left plated Jaxson Goodrich and Preston Wiltz.

Brett Holland lifted a sacrifice fly that drove in Easton Friedman for the Hawks in the bottom of the inning. Ifft followed with his free pass, and the game was halted.

Tredennick, Spence and Tyler Curl each singled for the Hawks (1-6). Collin Hartman gave up three unearned runs and struck out four on the bump.

Powell had two hits and drove in two runs for the Minutemen (3-3). Braeden Barber had a two-base hit while Goodrich and Wiltz each singled. Canden Hardman allowed two runs (one earned).

Pontiac 18, Ottawa 7 — At Ottawa, Henry Brummel did it on the mound and at the plate in leading Pontiac to its first win of the diamond season. Brummel drove in four runs and pitched three solid innings as PTHS posted an 18-7 victory over Ottawa on Thursday.

A Brummel two-base knock plated Cayden Masching, who also had doubled, to put the Orange-and-Blue up 1-0 in the opening frame. Zechariah Landstrom made it three consecutive doubles to drive in a run, and Hunter Melvin plated Landstrom with a hit later in the inning.

On the hill, Brummel gave up a run and three walks while registering nine punchouts in his three innings for the Tribe (1-2). Landstrom allowed six runs (two earned) and struck out two, and Ryson Eilts fanned one in relief.

Brummel drove in four runs with two doubles. Landstrom had a double and two runs batted in while Masching also had a two-base hit. Tommy Oestmann chalked up two hits and three RBIs and Melvin had a pair of hits and a run batted in.

Dwight 11-15 Momence 0-4 — At Momence, Tracer Brown provided offensive punch while Wyatt Stalter, Joey Starks and Brown kept host Momence in check as Dwight claimed its first two wins of the season on March 16.

Brown had two triples and drove in two runs in the opener while Ryan Bumpous had two hits and drove in three runs. Drew Anderson also had two hits.

Stalter allowed a hit and struck out four for the win. Will Trainor struck out the side in his inning of relief.

Luke Gallet had three hits, including a triple and double, drove in two runs and scored three times for the Trojans in the second game. Owen Dunlap contributed a double, single and three runs batted in.

Starks got the win after going the first three innings. He allowed two runs while striking out five. Brown finished up, yielding two runs and fanning four.

Dwight 3-5, Henry-Senachwine 2-7 — The Trojans claimed their first home win of the season on March 19, but Henry-Senachwine exacted revenge two days later. Luke Gallet went the distance on the bump for the win in the Tri-County Conference opener on Tuesday. He set down six on strikes and allowed two runs (one earned).

Joey Starks singled to drive in the game's first run in the home-half of the first inning. DTHS scored two more times, and Gallet did the rest. Gallet had two hits, Starks had a hit and RBI, and Owen Dunlap singled.

On Thursday, the Mallards tied the game in the fifth and took the lead in the sixth for the TCC win. Wyatt Stalter took the loss in relief, giving up two runs. Starter Starks fanned eight and allowed five unearned runs. Gallet led the Dwight (3-4) offense with two hits.

Lexington 3, Dwight 2 — At Dwight, Miles Lainhart drove in the tying and winning runs with a two-out hit to lift Lexington past Dwight on March 20. The Minutemen led 1-0 before DTHS plated two runs in the last of the sixth. Joey Starks smacked a run-scoring double to plate the go-ahead run.

Kayden Knight punched out 11 in a complete-game victory for the Minutemen. Lainhart had a hit and drove in three runs while Blaine Friedmansky, Canden Hardman and Jimmy Smith each singled.

Terry Wilkey took the loss for Dwight. He allowed two runs and fanned one in 1 1/3 innings of relief. Will Trainor started and went the first five inning, striking out three and allowing one run. Starks closed it out with a strikeout.

Tracer Brown had two doubles and drove in a run. Starks also doubled and Owen Dunlap singled.

Lexington 5, Seneca 3 — At Lexington, starter Blaine Friedmansky spotted Seneca two runs in the first inning but his Lexington mates responded with five runs over the next three innings en route to a nonconference win at Keller Park on March 16.

Friedmansky registered six strikeouts in five innings for the win. Canden Hardman fanned three over the final two innings for the save.

Jaxson Goodrich had a hit and drove in two runs to lead the Lexington (2-3) offense. Friedmansky, Drake Powell, Hayden Sennett and Miles Lainhart each singled.

Prairie Central 13, Clifton 1 — At Clifton, Prairie Central got into the win column by burning Clifton's Comets on March 16. Tyler Curl got the victory on the hill with a four-strikeout, complete-game effort.

The Hawks opened the game with six straight singles and scored four runs to take control early. Every PC batter collected at least one base hit in the game. Brett Holland had three hits and drove in two runs to pace the attack. Collin Hartman also had three safeties. Will Skala had two hits and three RBIs while Brandon Holland collected two doubles and two RBIs. Easton Friedman had a double and single and JC Spence doubled.

GCMS 12, Prairie Central 9 — At Gibson City, Prairie Central's late rally fell short as the Hawks fell to Gibson City-Melvin-Sibley on March 19. Brett Holland took the loss despite PC pitching giving up just three earned runs.

The Hawks plated four runs in the top of the seventh, but a double play ended the game. Caden Addis had three hits while Brett Holland and Will Skala each had a double and single. JC Spence and Luke Ifft had two hits apiece.

Brett Holland struck out four in three innings. Addis fanned six, and Curl had one strikeout in relief.

El Paso-Gridley 15, Prairie Central 6 — At Normal, El Paso-Gridley slapped Prairie Central pitching for 10 runs in the first two innings en route to a nonconference win at the Corn Crib Thursday.

Brady Veselack got the win in relief of starter Mason Vandegraft for EPG. They combined to strike out 10 Hawks. Caden Addis took the loss for PC. T Schahrer and Luke Ifft also pitched. The trio fanned eight.

Vandegraft had three hits, including a double, and drove in two runs while Dominic Ricconi had two hits and three RBIs to pace the Titans (2-0) offense. Ryan Kelsey had two hits and drove in two runs and Owen Adams had a two-base hit.

Brett Holland had two doubles and two runs batted in, and JC Spence had a double and single and drove in two runs for Prairie Central (1-5). Gavin Tredennick tripled.

El Paso-Gridley 8, Midwest Central 3 — At Manito, Ryan Kelsey had a good day at the plate in leading El Paso-Gridley to a season-opening win over Midwest Central on March 18.

Kelsey had a triple, double and drove in two runs for the Titans. Joah Knapp contributed a hit and two runs batted in. A five-run third inning was key for EPG.

Mitchell Wilson started and struck out four in three innings. Mason Vandegraft fanned five in three innings of relief, and Brady Veselack closed it out with two punchouts.

Roanoke-Benson 14, WFC 7 — At Woodland, the host Warriors led early, but the Roanoke-Benson Rockets took off in the second inning to take control of their Tri-County Conference game March 19.

WFC led 4-2 after one inning, but Roanoke scored five in the second and led the rest of the way. Connor Dodge had a double, single and drove in three runs for Woodland-Flanagan-Cornell (0-2). Reed Frazier had a double, single and two RBIs and Jon Moore doubled.

Tucker Hill took the loss. He fanned three. Sam Schmitz struck out three in relief.

This article originally appeared on Pontiac Daily Leader: Hawks, Minutemen can't complete baseball contest