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Pontiac baseball falls to regional favorite in possible final preview

erich murphy, pontiac daily leader
·6 min read
Second baseman Cayden Masching reaches for the ball as Eureka's Austin Wiegand tries to get back to the second base bag. Masching made the catch of the throw from PTHS third baseman Drew Wayman to complete the double play in Wednesday's nonconference game at The Ballpark at Williamson Field.
Second baseman Cayden Masching reaches for the ball as Eureka's Austin Wiegand tries to get back to the second base bag. Masching made the catch of the throw from PTHS third baseman Drew Wayman to complete the double play in Wednesday's nonconference game at The Ballpark at Williamson Field.

Pontiac received the third seed in its sub-sectional and will play in the Class 2A Eureka Regional when the baseball postseason gets going next week. The host Hornets received the top seed. The two teams are the favorites to reach the championship round.

Pontiac hurler Zechariah Landstrom makes a throw to first after fielding the ball behind the mound Wednesday. Landstrom took the loss in a 9-2 setback to Eureka.
Pontiac hurler Zechariah Landstrom makes a throw to first after fielding the ball behind the mound Wednesday. Landstrom took the loss in a 9-2 setback to Eureka.

With that, those expecting to see a true preview of what could be the regional title game when these two teams met Wednesday at The Ballpark at Williamson Field were probably disappointed. Neither team was throwing their respective aces and, at least on Pontiac's side, the lineup kept adjusting as 12 different players saw action.

Eureka won the game 9-2 as the Hornets stung a trio of PTHS hurlers for a half dozen unearned runs.

Pontiac's Logan Barnett takes a swing at a pitch during Wednesday's baseball game with Eureka at The Ballpark at Williamson Field. PTHS lost a 9-2 decision.
Pontiac's Logan Barnett takes a swing at a pitch during Wednesday's baseball game with Eureka at The Ballpark at Williamson Field. PTHS lost a 9-2 decision.

Head coach Adam Lawrence went with his regular lineup with Zechariah Landstrom on the mound. This meant ace hurlers Logan Barnett and Henry Brummel were playing the field — Barnett at shortstop and Brummel was in left field and at shortstop. Seniors Barnett and third baseman Drew Wayman each got a turn at bat before leaving.

The Lawrence Nine got on the board in the bottom of the first inning when Wayman delivered a run-scoring single. Barnett had reached on a fielder's choice and Brummel drew a walk before Wayman's base knock.

Pontiac third baseman Drew Wayman is set to make a play Wednesday against Eureka. Wayman played just two innings but started a double play on defense and had a run-scoring base hit.
Pontiac third baseman Drew Wayman is set to make a play Wednesday against Eureka. Wayman played just two innings but started a double play on defense and had a run-scoring base hit.

Wayman helped PTHS get out of the top of the first inning by starting a double play. The third baseman snared a sharp line drive off the bat of Spencer Wilcox and threw to Cayden Masching at second base to pick off a retreating Ben Lapp to end the inning.

Pontiac turned another like twin-killing in the third frame. Derrick Wiles lined out to shortstop Brummel who made the toss to Masching to double up Austin Wiegand trying to get back.

Pontiac shortstop Cayden Masching leaps to snare a line drive during Wednesday's baseball game with Eureka. Masching made the catch and then threw to Hunter Melvin at second base to complete a double play.
Pontiac shortstop Cayden Masching leaps to snare a line drive during Wednesday's baseball game with Eureka. Masching made the catch and then threw to Hunter Melvin at second base to complete a double play.

In the fourth inning, it was Masching's turn to make the catch and throw. Playing shortstop, Masching reached high in making a leaping grab of a Carson Gates line drive and then threw to Hunter Melvin at second base to double up Tanner Wiegand.

PTHS starter Landstrom couldn't avoid trouble in the second inning as he gave up a run that tied the game. He got deeper in trouble in the third when the Hornets scored three times.

Conrad Pfaff came on in relief in the fourth inning and faced just three batters in not allowing a hit or a run. Carter Dronenberg threw the final three innings, yielding two runs in the fifth frame, one in the sixth and two more in the seventh.

Pontiac's Hunter Melvin snares the ball at third base during a nonconference baseball game with Eureka at PTHS Wednesday.
Pontiac's Hunter Melvin snares the ball at third base during a nonconference baseball game with Eureka at PTHS Wednesday.

Pontiac's second tally came in the last of the fifth. Leadoff hitter Michael Kuska singled and then scored on Camden Fenton's three-base hit.

Kuska and Fenton each had a triple and single to pace the PTHS (12-11) offense. Fenton drove in a run, as did Wayman, who had one hit. Jackson Crawford had the other Pontiac safety.

Henry Brummel reaches for the ball during Pontiac's baseball game with Eureka at The Ballpark at Williamson Field Wednesday. PTHS lost 9-2.
Henry Brummel reaches for the ball during Pontiac's baseball game with Eureka at The Ballpark at Williamson Field Wednesday. PTHS lost 9-2.

Landstrom took the loss after allowing four runs (one earned), four hits and three walks in three innings while striking out one. Pfaff came on to throw hitless inning before giving way to Dronenberg. Dronenberg gave up five runs (two earned) and seven hits. He fanned one.

Zech Lapp had four hits, including a pair of doubles, and drove in three runs to pace Eureka (26-2). Austin Wiegand went the distance for the win. He struck out four and walked two.

Pontiac still has three games scheduled before ending the regular season. PTHS will open regional play on May 18 against El Paso-Gridley at Eureka. The Hornets will meet the winner of the Fieldcrest-Dee-Mack preliminary game next Wednesday.

Lexington 6, GSW 5

GARDNER — A pair of runs in the sixth inning lifted Lexington to a 6-5 victory over host Gardner-South Wilmington in nonconference baseball Wednesday.

Down 5-4, the Minutemen were running out of chances when Braeden Barber led off the sixth inning with a base hit. Ethan Storm came on as the courtesy runner for the LHS catcher. Kayden Knight got the sacrifice bunt down and good fortune followed. A throwing error allowed Storm to come all the way around to score the tying run and Knight ended up on third base.

Knight scored two batters later when Hayden Sennett lifted a sacrifice fly yo center deep enough to allow Knight to cross the plate with what became the winning run.

Benefitting was Tyler Steffa, who got the win in relief of starter Michael Olson. Blaine Friedmansky got the save.

The Minutemen took a quick 2-0 lead in the top of the first inning when Nolan Bowles belted a two-run homer. GSW responded with two runs off Olson to knot the game at 2-2 in the bottom of the first.

Lexington chalked up single markers in the second and third innings for a 4-2 edge. Camden Hardman led off the LHS second with a base hit and scored with two outs on a wild pitch in the second. Drake Powell doubled with one out in the third and scored on a Barber groundout.

The Panthers pushed across three runs in their turn at bat in the fourth inning to take a one-run lead.

Olson allowed five runs (four earned) on seven hits and one walk in 3 2/3 innings. He struck out two. Steffa threw a scoreless 1 1/3 innings for the win and Friedmansky struck out four and walked two in his two innings of relief for the save.

Powell had four hits, including a double and Preston Wiltz had a single and double for Lexington (10-16). Bowles homered and drove in two runs while Barber had a hit and RBI. Hardman had a single and Sennett drove in a run.

Heyworth 4, Lexington-Ridgeview 0

HEYWORTH — One bad inning was enough to doom Lexington-Ridgeview in a Heart of Illinois Conference softball game with host Heyworth Wednesday. The Hornets scored all their runs in the one frame for a 4-0 victory.

Grace Getty was tagged for the loss after giving up four runs (one earned) in the fourth inning. She gave up four hits and walked three in her time in the circle. She also fanned four before exiting.

Emilee Bratcher gave up two hits and Zoe Spence allowed one hit and struck out one as each tossed one inning of relief.

Compounding the problem for the Lexington-Ridgeview (14-13) hurlers was not receiving offensive support as the Minutemen were victimized by a no-hitter by Emma Slayback. She struck out 16 for Heyworth (17-4-1).

This article originally appeared on Pontiac Daily Leader: Pontiac baseball falls to regional favorite in possible final preview