Raiden Colbert homered and drove in three, Hayden Romano went the distance in a shutout effort as Monticello downs Warrensburg-Latham 8-0 in non-conference high school baseball action Saturday in Monticello.

Colbert hit a solo homer and doubled in another as the senior was a triple shy of the cycle, finishing 3-for-3 with two runs and three RBIs.

Romano struck out seven in seven shutout innings. The sophomore walked one and allowed three hits. 

Luke Teschke and Jacob Long drove in runs for the Sages. Matt Swartz was 2-for-3 with a run scored for Monticello.

The Sages go to 24-2 overall. They have an Illini Prairie Conference showdown with St. Joseph-Ogden on Monday in St. Joe up next.

Normal Community swept Plainfield North in a Saturday doublehead, 5-2 and 8-1, to extend a six-game winning streak from Plainfield in non-conference high school baseball action Saturday.

Luke Drengwitz and Kaileb Hackman each homered in the opening contest. Drengwitz hit a three-run home run in the second inning. Hackman opened the scoring for Normal with a solo shot in the first. 

Owen Cavanaugh finished 3-for-3 with a double, a stolen base, and two runs scored while Brady Burkhart was 1-for-3 with a double.

Three Ironmen pitchers combined to limit Plainfield North to a run. Ethan Eberle struck out five in 1 2/3 shutout innings. Hackman three two hitless, scoreless innings with four strikeouts.

In the second game, four Ironmen arms combined for a five-hitter. Cavanaugh threw two innings with three strikeouts and permitted the only run. Burkhart struck out two in an inning of work while Kyle Beaty and Parker Michels each threw a scoreless inning. 

Connor Kearfott was 2-for-3 with three RBIs and scored twice. Jack Richards, Luke Railey, and Reid Johnson each drove in runs for Normal.

With its two wins, Normal Community improves to 22-2 overall. They travel to Peoria on Monday.

Normal West split a double dip with Hononegah on Saturday, winning the opener 3-2 but dropped the second game, 11-7.

Sean Jenkins went six inings of two-run ball for Normal West. The junior struck out eight, walked one and allowed four hit. Leif Blair finished off the win for the Wildcats.

Brady Hart and Jenkins drove in runs. Trent Durham and Chase Reinhart stole bases for the Wildcats.

In the second game, Hart drove in two finishing 2-for-4. Knuth, Sam DesCarpentrie, and Jaxson Crancer doubled for Normal West. Crancer, Knuth, and Alex Olson drove in runs for the Wildcats.

With Saturday's split, Normal West goes to 13-10 overall. They are at Peoria Notre Dame on Monday. 

Illinois (25-16, 11-4) dropped its series finale to Maryland (27-17, 7-10), 11-7, today at Bob "Turtle" Smith Stadium.

Vytas Valincius led the way at the plate, going 2-for-4 with a run, double, home run and five RBI. Connor Milton also went yard in the contest, going 1-for-3 with two runs, a home run, an RBI and a walk. Cal Hejza reached base safely four times, going 2-for-3 with two runs and two walks.

Trailing 7-1, the Illini began chipping away at the deficit in the fourth, when Valincius led off the inning with a solo blast to left center. The Orange and Blue scored two more in the fifth, with Milton launching a solo round-tripper over the batter's eye and Valincius bringing home another run with a sacrifice fly to make it 7-4.

Maryland scraped a run across in the seventh but Valincius would come up clutch in the eighth, clearing the bases with a two-out, three-run double to make it 8-7.

Illinois left 10 runners stranded on base in the loss.

The Illini dropped two out of three over the weekend. Tey host Indiana State Tuesday.

Erick Fedde pitched a seven-hit ball into the ninth inning, and the Chicago White Sox beat the Tampa Bay Rays 4-2 on Sunday for a sweep of their three-game series.

White Sox LHP Garrett Crochet (1-4, 6.37 ERA) starts Monday night against Minnesota.

Illinois State dropped the series finale at Murray State with a 15-12 final at Johnny Reagan Field.

Senior Auggie Rasmussen delivered four RBIs for the Redbirds (21-20 overall, 9-9 MVC) but the Racers move to 26-17 overall and 9-9 in the MVC.

ISU scored three times in the 1st inning to lead 3-0, including a two-run home run by redshirt junior Judah Morris.

Murray State scored the game's next eight runs off a grand slam, two-run home run, and two-RBI double to lead 8-3 after two innings.

Rasmussen sent out a three-run home run in the 3rd inning to cut the deficit to 8-6.

The Racers scored seven of the game's next nine runs off four home runs to lead 15-8 after six innings.

A solo home run from junior Noah Rabin in the 7th inning brought the 'Birds to within 15-9.

In the 8th, Rabin narrowed the margin with a two-RBI double before Rasmussen drove in Rabin to trim the deficit to 15-12 as ISU would not push across another run.

Illinois State concludes a five-game road trip as the Redbirds head to Iowa City on Tuesday to face Iowa. First pitch is set for 6:05 p.m. CT.

Mark Vientos hit a two-run homer in the 11th inning on his second day in the majors this season to give the New York Mets a 4-2 comeback victory over the St.

Louis Cardinals that prevented a three-game sweep Sunday.

New York was 0 for 15 with runners in scoring position and down to its last strike when Harrison Bader singled home automatic runner DJ Stewart from third base with the tying run.

Vientos, who singled as a pinch hitter in the ninth, then drove a 1-2 pitch from Matthew Liberatore (0-1) just beyond the glove of a leaping Michael Siani at the center-field fence.

Brendan Donovan singled home the go-ahead run for St. Louis in the top of the 11th after making three outstanding defensive plays earlier in the game.

Reed Garrett (5-0) worked two innings for the win, allowing just an unearned run. He joined Jesse Orosco (August 1983) as the only Mets relievers to win five games in a month.

Francisco Lindor hit a tying homer in the sixth and stole two bases for New York, which had dropped five of six.

Jose Quintana tossed eight masterful innings of three-hit ball, becoming the first Mets starter in 27 games this season to reach the seventh. The left-hander threw 99 pitches and walked just one batter.

St. Louis, which finished 1 for 12 with runners in scoring position, was looking for its first four-game win streak since a six-game run July 15-20 last year.

Three brilliant catches by Donovan in left field helped Lance Lynn keep the Mets scoreless until Lindor's opposite-field homer on the ninth pitch of his at-bat leading off the sixth.

Masyn Winn doubled off Quintana to open the fifth and scored on a nicely executed safety squeeze by Siani, his first RBI in 76 major league plate appearances with Cincinnati and St. Louis.

Cardinals LHP Steven Matz (1-2, 5.55 ERA) starts Monday night in Detroit against RHP Kenta Maeda (0-1, 5.96). Matz is 7-0 with a 1.78 ERA versus AL Central opponents. The Cardinals have faced the Tigers in three World Series (1934, 1968, 2006), winning twice.

Tyler O’Neill hit a game-ending bloop single to give the Boston Red Sox a 5-4 victory over the Chicago Cubs on Sunday night.

Jarren Duran hit a two-run triple and Connor Wong drove in two runs with a pair of two-out singles, helping Boston to the win in the rubber game of the weekend set. The Red Sox beat the Cubs 17-0 on Saturday.

Chicago trailed 4-1 before Mike Tauchman hit a tying three-run homer against Chris Martin in the eighth inning. Matt Mervis hit an RBI single in the seventh for the Cubs' first run of the game.

For the second straight day, a large gathering of Cubs fans that made the trip to Fenway Park were unable to wave their “W” flags, a staple after wins at Wrigley Field.

Duran led off the ninth with a walk against Mark Leiter Jr. (0-1). He raced to third on Rafael Devers’ single.

O’Neill then hit a shallow fly toward left field. Shortstop Dansby Swanson, playing with the entire infield in, tried to make sliding catch, but it went off his glove and landed in the outfield grass.

Red Sox right-hander Tanner Houck struck out nine in 6 2/3 innings. He was charged with one run and four hits.

Kenley Jansen (1-0) worked the ninth for the victory.

Duran’s triple into the center-field triangle made it 4-0 in the sixth.

Boston shortstop Ceddanne Rafaela went 1 for 4 a day after going 4 for 4 with a two-run homer and driving in seven runs.

Despite dealing with injuries to their starting rotation, the Red Sox entered the day with a majors’ best 2.63 ERA, their lowest at this point of a season since 1920.

Red Sox right fielder Wilyer Abreu made a nice running catch on Swanson’s fifth-inning fly ball, and second baseman Enmanuel Valdez had a diving play on Nico Hoerner’s grounder the following inning.

Cubs catcher Miguel Amaya struck out swinging in the third, and his bat went flying over the protective netting. It went into the stands about 10 rows behind the Cubs’ on-deck circle, appearing to strike a fan. Medical personnel were looking at a person’s hand. They left their seat and walked away with the EMTs.

Cubs RHP Jameson Taillon (2-0, 1.69 ERA) is set to open a four-game series at the Mets on Monday. RHP Luis Severino (2-2, 2.67 ERA) is slated to start for New York.

Denny Hamlin called his shot ahead of Dover, guaranteeing a win on his podcast, then followed through on his bold boast that would have made the Bambino proud and held off Kyle Larson down the stretch to park his Toyota in victory lane.

Hamlin wiggled past lapped traffic and never let Larson squeak by him over the final laps in a showdown between two of NASCAR’s elite drivers and won the Cup race by about a quarter of a second Sunday at Dover Motor Speedway.

Hamlin has the victory lane celebration down pat this season. He celebrated last week at Talladega Superspeedway in his role as co-owner of 23XI Racing when Tyler Reddick took the checkered flag. Hamlin’s contribution was a bit overshadowed by his fellow team owner — Michael Jordan. For the first time since he became a NASCAR Cup team owner, Jordan was at the track to savor in person a victory by one of his drivers.

Hamlin’s three wins tie him with William Byron for most this season in the series. Hamlin also picked up his 54th career Cup win, all with Joe Gibbs Racing. He’s tied with Lee Petty for 12th on the career Cup list.

Larson finished second and nipped at Hamlin’s bumper for most of the final 25 laps and seemed on the brink of passing the Toyota. Larson’s No. 5 Chevrolet just couldn’t close the deal on the mile concrete track. Hamlin took the lead off a restart with 81 laps left and never let it go, repeatedly choking off Larson’s Chevy at the top of the track.

Martin Truex Jr., Kyle Busch and Chase Elliott completed the top five.

Up next is Kansas Speedway where Hamlin is the defending race winner.

Clinton and Warrensburg-Latham moved up Friday's scheduled Central Illinois Conference softball matchup to Thursday with rain in the forecast for Friday and it was the Lady Cardinals that rolled to an easy 14-3, five-inning, run-rule victory.

The Lady Cardinals started fast with a six-run first inning then answered with a five-run second inning. 

Emelia Coble hit a home run, doubled, and drove in three to lead Warrrensburg-Latham. Madison Bell-Walters was 2-for-3 with three RBIs and Shelby Oakley doubled and drove in a run finishing 2-for-4 for the Lady Cardinals.

Heidi Humble hit a solo home run and scored twice for the Lady Maroons. Brooke Reeves was 1-for-3 with a double. Avery Smith and Ariana Humes had RBIs for Clinton.

Clinton drops to 8-10 overall and 2-5 in the CIC. They will host GCMS on Saturday morning.

Monticello rebounded from two straight losses and took advantage of BCC miscues to roll to an 11-3 win in Illini Prairie Conference high school baseball action Thursday in Bloomington.

Sages hitters drew nine walks and scored 11 runs on ten hits in a rebound performance from dropping back-to-back games after a 22-game win streak to start the season.

Carter Foran and Colton Vance drove in two runs apiece. Ike Young was 2-for-2 with a double, RBI, and two walks. Luke Teschke walked three times and was 1-for-1 with a double, and RBI and scored twice. 

Jacob Long and Dylan Brown drove in runs for the Sages.

Koyie Williams allowed three runs in six innings to pick up the win for Monticello. The sophomore struck out five, allowed nine hits, and walked one. 

Monticello goes to 23-2 overall and 6-1 in the Illini Prairie Conference. They are scheduled to host Warrensburg-Latham on Saturday.

Luke Martin's two-run home run in the top of the ninth inning lifted Mt. Pulaski over Springfield High 3-1 in nine innings Thursday in non-conference high school baseball action from Robin Roberts Stadium in Springfield.

Chance Payne's second double of the day set up Martin's heroics in a high school baseball classic. 

Eric Cooper hit a game-tying RBI double in the fourth inning for the Hilltoppers. 

Payne struck out 11 in 6 1/3 innings of one-run ball for Mt. Pulaski. The run was unearned and he allowed two hits and three walks. Martin got the win with 2 2/3 innings of hitless, scoreless relief. Martin walked three and struck out four. 

Payne doubled twice finishing 2-for-4 for Mt. Pulaski.

The Hilltoppers are 18-1 overall. Mt. Pulaski is scheduled to travel to take on Bloomington Cornerstone Christian Academy this afternoon.

A four-run seventh inning helped Auburn take down Maroa-Forsyth 7-4 in Sangamo Conference high school baseball action Thursday in Forsyth.

The big inning was highlighted by a two-run double from Jed Ferguson to break a 3-3 tie. 

Maroa-Forsyth got a run back in its half of the seventh but the Trojans' rally fell short.

Ace Giles doubled in a run for Maroa-Forsyth in the first inning. Andy Munjoy drove in a run as well. Tate Brandenburg finished 1-for-4.

Maroa-Forsyth falls to 16-3 overall and 5-2  in the Sangamo Conference. They are scheduled to host St. Joseph-Ogden this afternoon.

Normal Community scored eight runs in the second inning and made quick work of Urbana 14-1 in a five-inning, run-rule win from Normal Thursday in Big 12 hig school baseball action.

The two squads were set to play on Friday but with rain in the forecast, the game was moved up to Thursday. 

Kaileb Hackman went yard and drove in four runs to lead the Ironmen. Kyle Beaty drove in a run and stole three bases. Riley Hendren tripled and drove in a run while Ryan Theile, Ethan Eberle, and Luke Drengwitz had RBIs for Normal.

Luke Klunke allowed a run in three innings for the Ironmen. He struck out five, walked two and permitted two hits. Luke Railey struck out five and walked one in two innings of hitless, scoreless relief.

Normal Community goes to 21-2 overall and 11-0 in the Big 12. They travel to take on Plainfield North on Saturday.

Taylor Hafermann struck out ten in five innings of two-run ball helping Normal West get by Danville 5-2 in Big 12 high school baseball action Thursday in Danville.

The game was moved up to Thursday with rain in the forecast for Friday afternoon. The Wildcats rolls the Vikings 16-1 on Wednesday. 

Grady DeVors took the loss for Danville going the distance and allowing five runs, four were earned with three strikeouts to three walks and permitted seven hits. 

Brady Hart was 2-for-3 with two RBIs, a stolen base, and a run scored. Hafermann was 2-for-2 with an RBI while Chase Knuth was 1-for-3 with an RBI and run scored.

Ryder Coone picked up the win for the Wildcats with two innings of hitless, scoreless relief. The senior struck out five and walked four.

Normal West is 13-9 overall and goes to 8-4 in the Big 12. They will host Hononegah on Saturday.

The Clinton Maroons split a Wednesday evening doubleheader with Tuscola in Central Illinois Conference high school baseball - one game being a regularly scheduled matchup and the other a make-up of a rainout from earlier in the spring.

The Maroons won the first game 4-2 behind a bullpen day for Clinton. Brooks Cluver, Cole Fentress, and Preston Curtis combined to no-hit the Warriors. 

Fentress allowed two unearned runs and walked four in 2 2/3 innings. Curtis struck out five to close out the win in four perfect innings of work.

Mason Walker was 2-for-3 with an RBI, stole two bases and scored a run. Colton Walker and Aiden Toohill added RBIs. 

In the second game, the Warriors used a six-run fourth inning to get by Clinton 9-6. 

Colton Walker was 2-for-3 with two RBIs and a stolen base. Jaxon Reynolds had the only other RBI for Clinton.

Trailing 4-3, Tuscola broke the game open with the six-run inning highlighted by a two-run single by Caiden Russo. 

With the split Wednesday, Clinton is 15-7 overall and 6-2 in the Central Illinois Conference. They will host Warrensburg-Latham on Friday afternoon. Hear the action on WHOW and all its digital platforms.

Brooke Reeves and Heidi Humble each drove in two runs pacing Clinton over Tuscola 7-3 in Central Illinois Conference high school softball action from Tuscola Wednesday.

Reeves finished 3-for-5 with a double, two stolen bases, and two runs scored in addition to her two RBIs. Humble finished 2-for-3 with a triple and her two RBIs.

Avery Smith, Aliviyah Haynes, and Sara Mills also drove in runs for the Lady Maroons. 

Ashley Armstrong went seven innings in circle Wednesday. The senior allowed three runs, one was earned, on six hits while issuing a walk and struck out eight.

Clinton is 9-9 overall and 3-4 in the Central Illinois Conference. They host Warrensburg-Latham this afternoon. 

Jason Decker went the distance pacing Tri-Valley over Monticello 2-1 in a walk-off non-conference high school baseball win Wednesday from Downs.

Decker allowed a run on three hits and struck out five while walking two. 

Matt Swartz drew two walks hitting out of the lead-off spot for the Sages. The junior stole two bags and scored two runs. Jacob Long drove in the lone run for Monticello. 

Eli Craft and Colton Vance had hits for the Sages.

Carter Foran went 6 2/3 innings. The junior allowed two runs, one was earned, on six hits. He struck out six and walked zero hitters. 

After a 22-game win streak to start the year, the Sages have dropped its last two to go to 22-2. They will travel to Bloomington to take on Central Catholic High School today.

Mt. Pulaski easily handled Central A&M 17-3 in a five-inning, run-rule win Wednesday in non-conference high school baseball action in Mt. Pulaski.

Chance Payne doubled twice and drove in three runs while scoring four times for the Hilltoppers. Luke Martin tripled in a 3-for-4 effort and drove in two and scored twice. 

Aaron Volle drove in two runs and got the victory on the bump for Mt. Pulaski. The freshman struck out eight while permitting three unearned runs.

Franklin Wade had two RBIs awhile Landon Smith and Tyler Cross hit doubled for the Hilltoppers. 

Mt. Pulaski is 17-1 overall. They will travel to Springfield this afternoon to take on Springfield High.

Maroa-Forsyth scored three runs in the top of the tenth inning and outlasted Olympia 4-1 in Sangamo Conference high school baseball action in Stanford Wednesday.

An Ace Giles two-run single broke the 1-1 tie and Cayden Rose drove in another run.

Connor Kelly went five innings of one-run ball. He struck out seven, walked three and allowed a hit. Kaiden Maurer went five innings of relief for the win. The senior struck out seven and allowed just one hit. 

Tate Brandenburg finished 3-for-5 with a double for the Trojans. Mitch Williams was 2-for-5 with a double while Rose finished 2-for-5 with a double and two runs batted in. 

Maurer added two hits as well for Maroa-Forsyth.

The Trojans are 16-2 overall and 5-1 in the Sangamo Conference. They host Auburn this afternoon.

Normal West easily dispatched Danville 16-1 in Big 12 high school baseball action Wednesday in Normal.

Sam DesCarpentrie paced the Wildcats offense finishing 3-for-5 with a double, a stolen base, and five RBIs. 

Alex Olson was 1-for-3 with a double, a stolen base, and scored three runs. Jaxson Crancer was 2-for-3 with a double, an RBI, a stolen base, and scored a run. Blake Crancer scored three runs and stole four bases Wednesday.

Sean Jenkins drove in two runs while Chase Knuth, Brady Hart and Ryder Coone drove in runs as well. Hart had two stolen bases for the Wildcats.

Normal West is 12-9 overall and 7-4 in the Big 12. They travel to Danville on Friday.

Anthony Gura hit a home run and drove in three to pace Normal Community past Urbana 19-0 in Big 12 high school baseball action from Urbana Wednesday.

Kaileb Hackman and Luke Drengwitz doubled and drove two while Riley Hendren and Ryan Theile each doubled and drove in runs. 

Dexter Niekamp triped. Hendren also added a triple for the Ironmen. Kyle Beaty stole two bases and Owen Cavanaugh and Hackman also stole bases in the win.

Normal is 20-2 overall and moves to 10-0 in the Big 12. The Ironmen will host Urbana on Friday.

An Illinois High School Association board member says the organization is seeing a growing number of eligibility appeals. Katy Hasson was speaking on the issue in response to Illinois House Bill 334, which would limit transfer eligibility governance by the IHSA.

Illinois House Bill 334 has passed out of committee but has not been called for a vote on the house floor. Hasson has served on the IHSA board for eight years and has one year remaining on her final term.

In a game heard on WHOW, Willi Castro hit a 3-run home run on his 27th birthday and Joe Ryan pitched six innings for his first win of the year as the Minnesota Twins beat the Chicago White Sox 6-3 Wednesday.

Castro’s homer capped a four-run second inning against Chicago left-hander Garrett Crochet. It was his second career home run on his birthday and it drove in Austin Martin and Christian Vásquez.

Crochet (1-4) surrendered five runs on seven hits in four innings. He’s lost his last three outings.

Chicago right-hander Michael Soroka (0-3, 7.50 ERA) is looking for his first win of the year after allowing five runs in each of his last two starts. The Twins announced after Wednesday's game that Simeon Woods Richardson (1-0, 1.69) will be recalled from Triple-A St. Paul to start Thursday's series finale. Bailey Ober's start will be pushed back to Friday in Anaheim.

Lars Nootbaar drove in two runs and Kyle Gibson pitched six effective innings, lifting the St. Louis Cardinals to a 5-1 victory over the Arizona Diamondbacks in the finale of three-game series on Wednesday.

It was the first win in a series finale this season for the Cardinals, who bounced back from a 14-1 loss Tuesday night.

In his 299th start, Gibson (2-2) allowed one run and five hits. Gibson struck out six and walked two. It was his fifth straight start of six innings or more.

Three relievers finished up for St. Louis.

Former Cardinal Jordan Montgomery (1-1) went seven innings in his second start for Arizona since signing a one-year, $25 million deal as this season began. He allowed three runs, two earned, and six hits and struck out four and walked one in his first career start against St. Louis.

Arenado has reached base safely in 23 consecutive games since March 30, tying the injured Christian Yelich for the longest active on-base streak this season.

The Cardinals optioned outfielder Jordan Walker and left-hander Zack Thompson to Triple-A Memphis. Recalled infielder José Fermín and left-hander John King from Triple-A Memphis. The 6-foot-6 Walker is hitting just .155 with no home runs and 4 RBIs. He hit .276 with 16 homers and 51 RBIs as a rookie last season.

The Cardinals are off Thursday. Will start Miles Mikolas (1-3, 6.49) on Friday in New York against the Mets.