Pontiac ends regular season with one-run win over Normal West

NORMAL — A 5-3-5 double play thwarted a comeback effort by the home team as Pontiac escaped with a 4-3 nonconference softball victory over host Normal West Friday.

Pontiac scored two runs in the top of the sixth inning, which proved key as the Wildcats took advantage of three PTHS errors to score three runs. The Amerinds ended the rally with a double play on a grounder to Brooke Burger at third, who threw to first for the first out and then took a throw from Cadence Helms to make the third out on the play.

PTHS scored twice in the third inning with a two-out rally. Maddie Gourley singled with two outs and Elena Krause followed with an infield hit. Gourley took a wide turn at third and got back as Krause took second. Bailey Masching then singled to drive in both runners for a 2-0 lead.

Masching led off the sixth with a base hit. Kendall Pitchford reached on a one-out error. Masching scored on a passed ball to Natalie Zimmerman and Pitchford scored when Zimmerman singled. Masching had two hits and drove in two runs. Gourley also had two hits while Zimmerman collected a single and run batted in. Krause and Olivia Lindsay also singled.

Krause struck out 13 in picking up the win. She scattered six hits and allowed three unearned runs. Pontiac (24-7) will face Galesburg in the first semifinal game of the Class 3A Dunlap Regional on Tuesday.

Class 2A Seneca Regional

▶ Championship: At Seneca, the bats for Lexington-Ridgeview were quiet as host Seneca claimed the championship of the Class 2A regional Friday. The loss leaves the Mustangs with a 17-16 record for the season.

Lexington-Ridgeview managed just three hits as Makayla Ziegler, Allison Epley and Eva McCue singled. Belle Payne took the loss in the circle, allowing six runs (three earned) on seven hits. She struck out four.

Seneca, who will now play in the Herscher Sectional, managed a run in the first inning and added four in the fifth to take command.

▶ Lexington-Ridgeview 5, Prairie Central 0: At Seneca, a five-run fourth inning for Lexington-Ridgeview was all she wrote as the Minutemen shut out Prairie Central in a semifinal game at the Class 2A Seneca Regional on Wednesday, May 15. Lexington-Ridgeview strung together four consecutive run-scoring base hits for the runs. Mackenzie Wesson was hit by a pitch to start the rally. Allison Epley then triggered a string of five straight safeties.

Eva McCue followed with a hit that plated Wesson with the first run of the game. Emilee Bratcher and Becca Stover each contributed RBI singles and, after a passed ball allowed a run to score, Grace Grimsley capped the surge with a run-scoring base knock to make it 5-0. The Mustangs had just one other hit in the game, a single from Elana Atkins. Belle Payne got the win in the circle, allowing six hits and striking out three.

Kyah Creek and Kate Slagel led Prairie Central (13-18) with two hits apiece. Sam Slagel and Lucy Whitfill had one hit each. Dixie Hogan took the loss, allowing five runs and striking out two. Faith Fields finished up, fanning seven in 3 2/3 innings.

Class 2A St. Bede Regional

▶ Midwest Central 2, EPG 1: At Peru, El Paso-Gridley tied the game in the seventh inning but was unable to overtake Midwest Central as the Titans dropped a one-run decision in eight innings in the semifinal round of the Class 2A St. Bede Regional on Wednesday, May 15. The loss ends the Titans’ season at 3-19. Grace Sieger took the loss after hitting a batter with the bases loaded in the last of the eighth frame. Sieger fanned three in 6 1/3 innings. Ava Pinkham pitched the first inning plus a batter in the second, striking out one.

Trailing 1-0 entering the seventh, EPG was able to pull even when Lexi Schouweiler singled to drive in Alexis Elliott with two outs. Elliott had two hits and Isabelle Vargas had two hits, including a double. Schouweiler and Sloan Gentes each singled.

Class 1A Dwight Regional

▶ Dwight 11, St. Anne 0: At Dwight, Madi Ely struck out 14 of the 16 batters she faced in tossing a no-hitter as the Trojans blanked St. Anne on Tuesday, May 14. The win moves DTHS into its own regional final on Saturday. Ely allowed one baserunner, which came about on an error on Ely in fielding a bunt. Otherwise, she was perfect as Dwight improved to 13-14.

The Trojans scored six runs in the first inning and added two in the second and three in the third. Ely helped her cause with two hits and three runs batted in. Avery Scheuer had a double, singles and drove in two runs while Averi Jury had two hits, including a double, and a run batted in. Njomza Asllani (RBI) also had two hits while Megan Livingston, Taylor Frobish and Sarah Parker each singled. Mikayla Ely drove in a run. DTHS will meet rival Gardner-South Wilmington in the title game.

Class 1A Walther Christian Regional

▶ WFC 10, Walther Christian 0: At Melrose Park, Woodland-Flanagan-Cornell made the trip to the suburbs a relatively quick one as the Warriors (16-10) disposed of regional host Walther Christian in semifinal round play on Tuesday, May 14. WFC scored 11 runs in the first inning and added a run in the second and seven in the third. Hurler Shae Simons retired the Broncos in order in the fourth to end the game by the 15-run rule.

Ella Derossett had a triple, double, single and drove in a run in helping pace the offense. Emma Palaschack also had three hits, Olivia Chismarick homered, singled and drove in four runs. Simons had a double, single and four RBIs Kaylee Henert (RBI) had two hits while Kaiden Connor (2 RBIs), Kora Edens (2 RBIs) and Jaylei Leininger each singled. WFC will face Grant Park in the championship game on Saturday.

Regular Season

▶ Fisher 12, EPG 2: At Bloomington, El Paso-Gridley’s offense was held in check as the Titans suffered a Heart of Illinois Conference showcase loss to Fisher on May 11. Lexi Schouweiler had a double, single and drove in a run for the Titans. Nickelle Cummings also singled. Ava Pinkham took the loss and Cummings finished up. Both recorded one strikeout.

▶ Lexington-Ridgeview 11, Eureka 1: At Bloomington, Belle Payne scattered seven hits and struck out four in pitching Lexington-Ridgeview past Eureka in an HOIC showcase contest on May 11. Run support came in scoring runs in five of the six innings the Minutemen batted. Mackenzie Wesson had a double, single and two runs batted in while Hailey Foote also had two hits and two RBIs. Josie Thomas had a hit and two RBIs while Allison Epley and Kylie Kennedy had a hit and RBI apiece. Carlie Mackinson and Eva McCue also singled. Ellie Doll drove in two runs.

▶ Herscher 5, Prairie Central 3: At Fairbury, early runs lifted Herscher to a nonconference win over Prairie Central on May 11. Dixie Hogan took the loss. Faith Fields finished up, striking out seven over the final five frames. Lucy Whitfill had two hits and drove in a run to pace the Hawks at the plate. Kate Slagel and Kyah Creek collected a hit and RBI apiece while Sam Slagel, Rylee Galloway and Jules Woodrey each singled.

This article originally appeared on Pontiac Daily Leader: Regular season ends on high note as Pontiac tops Normal West