Local Sports

HS Baseball: Mt. Pulaski Blanks OkawValley

Landan Smith came up an out short of a complete game shutout and also helped his cause at the plate as Mt. Pulaski blanked Okaw Valley 5-0 in non-conference high school boys baseball action Wednesday in Mt. Pulaski.

 

Smith twirled 6 2/3 innings of one-hit ball. He struck out nine and walked three. Luke Martin got the final out of the game to finish off the shutout for the Hilltoppers.

 

Smith doubled in a run going 1-for-2 with an RBI. Martin, Chance Payne, and Eric Cooper drove in runs for the Hilltoppers who go to 5-0 on the season.

 

Mt. Pulaski hosts Unity Christian this afternoon.

HS Baseball: Monticello Powers Past Champaign Central

Koyie Williams and Ike Young hit two-run home runs in the first inning propelling Monticello past Champaign Central 14-5 in a non-conference slugfest Wednesday in Champaign.

 

The Sages jumped out in front 7-0 in the third inning but Central answered with three in the third and two in the fourth to trim the deficit to 8-5 but the Sages put the game out of reach with a five-run seventh.

 

Williams added an RBI double finishing 2-for-3 with three RBIs and two runs scored. Young was 1-for-3 with two RBIs and three runs scored. Dylan Brown was 1-for-3 with a pair of RBIs and a run scored.

 

Brody Billedo threw 3 2/3 scoreless innings in relief of Young who allowed five runs on seven hits in 3 1/3 innings. Billedo struck out three, walked two, and permitted just one hit.

 

The Sages go to 12-0 on the season. They will host Prairie Central today to open Illini Prairie Conference action.

HS Baseball: Normal West Rolls in Alabama

Sam DesCarpentrie and Blake Crancer paced a big offensive effort for Normal West in a 13-1 win over Westview (TN) on Wednesday in the Gulf Shores Alabama Tournament in four innings.

 

Normal West scored ten runs in the first inning. esCarpentrie and Crancer each had two RBI's in the inning while Alex Olsen, Sam McCulley, Sam Beirne, and Trent Durham each drove in a run. 

 

DesCarpentrie finished the day with three RBI's, and McCulley and Beirne each picked up an additional RBI after the 10-run first inning. 

 

Sam Beirne picked up the win on the mound as he went 2 1/3 innings allowing one run on four hits. He struck out five and walked two. DesCarpentrie came on to pitch the final 1 2/3 innings allowing no runs on two hits while striking out three and walking one. 

 

The Wildcats are now 3-5 on the season. Normal West concludes tournament action today.

HS Softball: Blue Ridge Outlasts Oakwood

Addison Roos and Ellie Schlieper led Blue Ridge over Oakwood 7-4 in non-conference girls softball action Wednesday in Farmer City.

 

Roos finished 3-for-4 with an RBI and two runs scored for the Lady Knights, who overcame an early 3-0 deficit. 

 

Schlieper struck out 11 in seven innings. She allowed four runs, two were earned, on six hits and permitted just one walk. She was also 1-for-2 with a double.

 

Cassie Zimmerman finished 1-for-3 with two RBIs. Roos and Zimmerman each stole multiple bases for Blue Ridge who stole bases for the game.

 

Carsyn Stiger and Lily Summers drove in runs for the Knights. 

 

Blue Ridge goes to 2-5 overall. They will travel to Villa Grove on Monday for its Lincoln Prairie Conference opener. 

Illinois in First Sweet 16 Since 2005

Terrance Shannon, Jr. is a perfect 6-0 against the Iowa State Cyclones, and he will have a chance to improve that record on Thursday when Illinois and Iowa State meet in a battle of East Region teams in the Sweet 16.

 

All six of Shannon's previous victories vs. the second-seeded Cyclones came when he was at Texas Tech, and he averaged 10.0 points per game across those contests.

 

Since joining the third-seeded Fighting Illini (28-8) last season, Shannon has blossomed. He is averaging a team-high 23.3 points per game in 2023-24, most recently scoring 30 on 10-of-14 shooting in Illinois' 89-63 rout of No. 11 seed Duquesne on Saturday.

 

The Cyclones (29-7), who rank fourth in the country in scoring defense at 61.3 points allowed per game, beat seventh-seeded Washington State 67-56 in the second round. They got 15 points from Tamin Lipsey and 14 from Curtis Jones.

 

Iowa State overcame an ice-cold start in which it went 1-for-13 from the field and scored just four points through the game's first nine minutes.

 

Points could be hard to come by again on Thursday against a Fighting Illini defense that just held Duquesne star Dae Dae Grant to seven points on 2-of-9 shooting. Grant came into the game averaging 16.7 points.

 

the Fighting Illini are playing past the Round of 32 for the first time since 2005, when they ended up going all the way to the national championship game and falling to North Carolina.

 

For Illinois, Domask backs Shannon with 16.1 points per game, while Hawkins is averaging 12.3. Quincy Guerrier pairs an average of 9.8 points with a team-high 6.2 rebounds per game.

 

Keshon Gilbert paces Iowa State with 13.7 points per game, followed by Lipsey (12.5 ppg), Milan Momcilovic (11.2) and Curtis Jones (10.6).

 

Thursday marks the 15th meeting between the teams. The Illini hold an 11-3 advantage in the all-time series.

 

Game time tonight is just after 9 central time.

White Sox Open Season With Core Largely Gone

Chicago White Sox left-hander Garrett Crochet will make his first career start on Opening Day when the team hosts the Detroit Tigers on Thursday.

 

Crochet counts 72 relief appearances on the heels of that assignment, but the White Sox still are glad to have a veteran around behind the plate should Crochet need additional calming.

 

Catcher Martin Maldonado is one of several new faces for the White Sox, and the team will look to his presence to help a revamped starting rotation jell.

 

It's a rebuilding season for the White Sox, and general manager Chris Getz may entertain overtures for third baseman Yoan Moncada and outfielder/designated hitter Eloy Jimenez as the season progresses.

 

The White Sox avoided potentially bad news concerning center fielder Luis Robert Jr., who was hit by a pitch in the left arm during Monday's intrasquad game against Triple-A Charlotte but emerged unscathed.

 

Chicago will face a lefty with far more starting seasoning in Tigers ace Tarik Skubal, who also dealt with injury in 2023, was 7-3 with a 2.80 ERA in 15 starts to help the Tigers finish 78-84. That was good enough for second place in the American League Central, nine games behind the Minnesota Twins and 17 clear of the fourth-place White Sox.

 

Hear White Sox baseball again this season on WHOW.

Cardinals Open '24 Season in Los Angeles with Revamped Rotation

As the Los Angeles Dodgers get set to resume their season against the visiting St. Louis Cardinals on Thursday afternoon, there is a much different air from the optimism that surrounded their opener last week in South Korea.

 

The Cardinals will be starting their 2024 season, while the Dodgers already have won one game and lost another against the San Diego Padres in the Seoul Series.

 

Before the second game could begin on March 21, news broke that new Dodgers superstar Shohei Ohtani was embroiled in a controversy that included financial fraud of up to a reported $4.5 million, with the money in question allegedly tied to a Southern California bookmaker.

 

Ohtani has denied any involvement with sports betting, with the ordeal at best providing a way for the Dodgers to rally together as a team and at worst leaving a cloud over them all season, while threatening to disrupt the club's championship aspirations.

 

The Dodgers added the two-way talent on a 10-year, heavily-deferred $700 million contract in the offseason, and even though he won't pitch this season after elbow surgery, his run-producing prowess adds to a lineup that includes fellow former MVPs in Mookie Betts and Freddie Freeman.

 

To fortify the pitching staff, Los Angeles acquired right-handers Tyler Glasnow and Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Ohtani's countryman from Japan. Yamamoto landed a 12-year, $325 million deal.

 

Glasnow (0-0, 3.60 ERA) is set to take the mound Thursday after mixed results in his debut in the season opener, when he gave up two runs to the Padres on two hits with four walks and three strikeouts. Glasnow has six career appearances against the Cardinals (two starts) and is 0-2 with a 2.45 ERA.

 

Intent on distancing themselves from a disastrous 2023 season, the Cardinals have not enjoyed the best of springs. Not only will projected ace Sonny Gray open the season on the injured list with a hamstring strain, but three outfielders will start the season on the injured list.

 

The Cardinals open with right-hander Miles Mikolas on the mound after he went 9-13 with a 4.78 ERA last season in 35 starts. He allowed the most hits in baseball with 226, and his 107 earned runs were the most of any pitcher that spent his entire season in the National League.

 

Mikolas is 1-2 with a 4.23 ERA in seven career appearances (four starts) against the Dodgers.

 

In the St. Louis outfield, Tommy Edman (wrist) and Lars Nootbaar (ribs) already were set to open the season on the IL. Now, Dylan Carlson also will be on the IL after a left shoulder injury Monday.

 

The Cardinals finished 71-91 last season. Their .438 winning percentage was their worst since a .434 mark (62-81) in 1995 and their worst in a full 162-game season since a .432 mark (70-92) in 1990.

Bulls Knock Off Pacers

DeMar DeRozan scored 27 points and Nikola Vucevic added 22 with 12 rebounds to lead the Chicago Bulls past the Indiana Pacers 125-99 on Wednesday night to snap a three-game skid.

 

Coby White had 18 points to help Chicago take the season series from Indiana 3-1.

All five Chicago starters reached double digits in scoring, but this victory was about defense. The high-scoring Pacers were held under 100 points for the first time this season. Their previous low was 101 against Boston in a loss on Jan. 6.

 

Andrew Nembhard scored 18 points for the Pacers, who concluded a five-game trip at 3-2 and remained in sixth place in the Eastern Conference. The Pacers were held to 40% shooting, while the Bulls shot 50% in an often sloppy game.

 

Chicago limited Pascal Siakam to 14 points after the two-time All-Star had scored 25 or more in four straight games and 36 and 31 in his last two, respectively.

 

Ayo Dosunmu scored 17 on 7-for-11 shooting, including 3 for 5 on 3-pointers. Andre Drummond added 14 points and 11 rebounds off the bench for Chicago, ninth in the East.

 

Bulls defensive specialist Alex Caruso, who had 12 points to hit double figures for the fourth straight game, was surprised to learn his team was the first to hold the Pacers under 100 points this season.

 

The Bulls took charge late in the second quarter by outscoring and outmuscling the Pacers 22-6 in the final 6:24 to build a 64-43 halftime lead. Chicago shot 55.6 %, while Indiana lagged at 35% in the first half.

 

Vucevic led the way with 15 points in the half and helped spark the surge with 7-for-11 shooting. Dosunmu had 11 points in the half.

 

Indiana scored the first seven points in the second half to start a comeback that narrowed the Bulls' lead to 71-64 with just over four minutes left in the third quarter when T.J. McConnell hit a pair of free throws. The Pacers didn’t pull closer than seven, however.

 

DeRozan, Drummond and Dosunmu helped thwart the Pacers with timely baskets that wrested back momentum late in the third and made it 87-74 after the quarter.

 

Chicago pulled away in the fourth.

 

Donovan said injured Zach LaVine (right foot surgery), Patrick Williams (left foot surgery) and Lonzo Ball (left knee surgery) could be in Chicago on Monday when the Bulls host Atlanta, then continue rehabbing in town with the team the rest of the season.

 

The Bulls are at Brooklyn on Friday.

Cubs Look to Build on Surprising 2023

The Texas Rangers will take the first step on what they hope is the long journey toward defending their World Series title on Thursday night when they open the season against the Chicago Cubs in Arlington, Texas.

 

Last season's path to glory saw the Rangers post a 90-72 record and a second-place finish in the American League West. They swept the Tampa Bay Rays and Baltimore Orioles in the first two rounds of the playoffs before outlasting the Houston Astros in seven games during the AL Championship Series. Texas capped it off by dispatching the Arizona Diamondbacks in five games to win its first World Series title in franchise history.

 

And while the Rangers would like to become the first team to win consecutive World Series titles since the New York Yankees from 1998-2000, they know that Game 1 of the regular season holds just as much value as the 161 contests that follow.

 

Eovaldi, 34, hopes to pick up where he left off in 2023 when he makes his fourth career start on Opening Day. The two-time All-Star and two-time World Series champion followed a 12-5 record with a 3.63 ERA in 25 starts during the regular season by going 5-0 with a 2.95 ERA in his six outings in the playoffs.

 

Texas' bread and butter is its high-octane offense, and manager Bruce Bochy expects to have two key cogs in the lineup on Thursday.

 

World Series MVP Corey Seager has returned to action following surgery to repair a sports hernia, while All-Star third baseman Josh Jung is good to go following a calf issue.

 

Seager, Jung, Marcus Semien and Adolis Garcia ignited a Rangers offense that led the AL with 881 runs and tied for the league lead with 233 homers last season.

 

The Cubs, who missed the playoffs after finishing with an 83-79 record in 2023, will turn to left-hander Justin Steele on Thursday to make his first career start on Opening Day.

 

Steele, 28, posted a 16-5 record with a 3.06 ERA last season to finish fifth in the balloting for the National League's Cy Young Award. He won his lone career encounter vs. Texas on April 8, allowing one run on four hits in six innings of a 10-3 victory.

 

There's even more reason for optimism in the Windy City outside of Steele. The Cubs signed Cody Bellinger to a three-year, $80 million contract on the heels of his 26-homer, 97-RBI performance in 2023. They also hired former Milwaukee Brewers manager Craig Counsell to serve in the same role for them this season.

HS Softball: Long Ball Leads Monticello Past Decatur St. Teresa

In a game heard on WEZC and online at dewittdailynews.com, Monticello hit four home runs in the first inning including back-to-back-to-back home runs, and routed Decatur St. Teresa 17-2 in four innings of non-conference high school softball action from the Wilke Complex in Monticello.

 

Isa Beery hit a grand slam in the first inning then Ali Weidner, Marrissa Miller, and Sadie Walsh hit consecutive home runs in the bottom of the first inning. The Lady Sages sent 14 batters to the plate in the first and scored nine runs.

 

St. T kept Monticello off the board in the second and got a run back in the third before the Lady Sages added four more runs in their half of the fourth inning and finished off the run-rule win with a four-run fourth inning.

 

Beery 3-for-3 adding a double and six RBIs to lead Monticello's offense. She was the ServPro of Piatt/DeWitt Counties Player of the Game.

 

Miller was 3-for-4 adding a double and scoring three times for the Lady Sages. Walsh added an RBI double finishing 3-for-3 with a walk, two RBIs, and scored four runs. 

 

Cassidee Stoeffel doubled twice finishing 3-for-3 with a walk, two RBIs, and scored three runs for Monticello.

 

Cheryl Easterling paced the Lady Bulldogs' offense going 3-for-3 with a double and scored twice. Avery Harrison was 1-for-2 with an RBI and Ella Korte walked and singled in a run for St. T.

 

The Lady Sages go to 6-4 overall. St. T drops to 3-4.

Illinois Rolls Mizzou in Baseball Braggin' Rights Game

Illinois (11-12) brought Braggin' Rights back to Champaign with an 11-3 victory over Missouri (10-15) Tuesday night at Grizzlies Ballpark.

 

Jake Rons, who did not factor in the decision, delivered four innings of one-run ball and punched out seven batters without issuing a walk in the first start of his Illinois career. Korey Bunselmeyer picked up the win by tossing 2.0 innings and allowing just one run on three hits.

 

The offense scored double-digit runs for the second-straight contest, paced by a 1-for-4, home run, three-RBI performance from Ryan Moerman. Drake Westcott also went yard, a two-run blast, going 1-for-3 with two runs, a home run, and two RBI, and drew two walks.

 

Cameron Chee-Aloy went 2-for-5 with two runs and two RBI. He has reached base safely in 20 of 21 games this season.

 

Coltin Quagliano went 2-for-3 with a run, double, two RBI and was hit by a pitch - he leads the Illini with 20 RBIs.

 

Illinois hosts Penn State for a three-game set this weekend.

Blackhawks Down Flames

Jason Dickinson scored twice, Petr Mrazek made 40 saves and the Chicago Blackhawks beat the Calgary Flames 3-1 on Tuesday.

 

Seth Jones also scored for Chicago, and Joey Anderson had two assists. Connor Bedard, who wrapped the blade of his stick in rainbow-colored Pride tape for warmups on Pride Night, picked up his team-best 35th assist.

 

Blackhawks rookie Landon Slaggert had two assists for his first points in his sixth NHL game. But he was turned away by Calgary defenseman MacKenzie Weegar on a prime scoring opportunity, and then came up empty on another chance.

 

The horn sounded after Slaggert appeared to score in the third period, but a review showed the puck never went into the net. The 21-year-old forward smiled as he stood in front of the Chicago bench before the decision was announced by an official.

 

The last-place Blackhawks improved to 6-4-0 in their last 10 games. They have just 21 victories in 72 games on the season.

 

The Blackhawks are at Ottawa on Thursday night for the opener of a three-game trip.

Illinois State, Iowa Tuesday Matchup Canceled

The Illinois State and Iowa baseball game scheduled for Tuesday at 5:00 p.m. CT at Duffy Bass Field has been canceled due to expected inclement weather.

 

The Missouri Valley Conference cold weather policy requires a wind chill factor of at least 28 degrees.

 

Illinois State is scheduled to travel to Iowa City for a game on April 30.

 

The Redbirds travel to Missouri State this weekend.

HS Baseball: Monticello Drops Lincoln

In a game heard on WEZC and online at dewittdailynews.com, Luke Teschke struck out 13 batters across seven innings of one-run ball, Eli Craft blistered a three-run home run and Monticello rolled past Lincoln 9-1 Monday afternoon in high school baseball action from the Wilke Complex in Monticello. 

 

Leading 9-0 and one strike away from a no-hitter, Jarrett Evans drilled an opposite-field home run on a 1-2 pitch for the Railersplitters that broked up the Monticello senior's bid at a no-hitter and shutout.

 

The Illinois State commit faced two over the minimum en route and matched his season-high for strikeouts. Before Evans' home run, Teschke had not allowed a hit and had issued only a free pass sitting down the first 13 batters he faced.

 

Teschke struck out seven in a row at one point between the final out of the first inning and the final out of the third inning.

 

Branden Wurth kept the Sages bats in check most of the afternoon. He permitted a run in the first. The Lincoln senior got the first two Sages before a bloop infield base hit altered by an overpowering wind Monday dropped in on the infield turf. Craft then walked before Jacob Long hit a ground ball to first base. 

 

Lincoln could not get Long at first base and Teschke hustled all the way home from second base to score the game's first run.

 

The Sages applied more pressure in the fourth inning. With the runners at second and third and two outs, Raiden Colbert hit a humpback liner just beyond the second base bag that scored Colton Vance but Ike Young was thrown out easily at home plate trying to score on the play and Monticello went up 2-0.

 

The Sages broke the game open in the fifth inning sending ten batters to the plate highlighted by a Craft blistering three-run home run to left field that cut through a howling wind of consistently 25 MPH blowing right to left across the diamond.

 

Each Sage batter reached base on Monday. Colbert and Matt Swartz added RBIs for the Sages.

 

Teschke was the ServPro of Piatt DeWitt/Counties Player of the Game Monday.

 

The Railers drop to 2-3 on the season. Monticello goes to 11-0.

 

Hear more Sages sports on WEZC this afternoon when we bring you girls softball action against Decatur St. Teresa. 

 

The next Sages' baseball game of the week broadcast is next Thursday when they host Heyworth.

HS Baseball: Normal West Splits Double Dip in Alabama

The Normal West baseball squad split a twin bill in Alabam Monday afternoon taking home a 7-3 over Shelby County and then dropped a 7-4 decision to Gibson County out of Tennessee.

 

The Wildcats scored six runs in the sixth inning of the opener to break open a 3-1 game. Trent Druham doubled and drove in two for Normal West while Sam DesCarpentrie and Bradyn Whitehead each had three hits. DesCarpentrie added a pair of RBIs. 

 

Blake Crancer stole two bases in the opener.

 

Crancer would add three hits including a pair of doubles, a pair of runs and drove in a run in the second game of the day. He also stole two bases.

 

Normal West is 2-4 on the season. The Wildcats return to action today for a single game at 2 pm in the Gulf Shores of Alabama. 

Bulls Fall to Wizards

Jordan Poole scored 23 points and the Washington Wizards won their season-high third straight game, beating the Chicago Bulls 107-105 on Monday night.

 

Corey Kispert posted his first career double-double with 19 points and a personal-best 12 rebounds. Marvin Bagley III scored 16, and Richaun Holmes had 14 points and 15 rebounds. Jared Butler added a career-high 13 assists to help the Wizards - owners of the NBA’s second-worst record - get some payback for a 29-point blowout in Chicago last week.

 

Washington had not won more than two in a row since a six-game streak in January 2023.

 

DeMar DeRozan led Chicago with 27 points. Coby White scored 22 as the Bulls dropped their third in a row - a loss that was as bad as any for them this season.

 

Ninth in the Eastern Conference, Chicago found itself staring at a 15-0 deficit. Poole scored 10 in that stretch, though he also headed to the sideline with three fouls just under five minutes into the game.

 

The Wizards led by 16 early in the second quarter before Chicago went ahead in the third. Washington was up 100-93 late in the game, but the Bulls then scored six straight points and pulled within one on White’s driving layup with 2:10 remaining.

 

The Wizards were up by four when DeRozan drove for a layup in the closing minute. Washington’s Justin Champagnie then made one of two free throws with 31 seconds left to make it 104-101.

 

DeRozan drove for another layup to make it a one-point game before Kispert hit two free throws for Washington to bump the lead to 106-103 with eight seconds remaining.

 

The Bulls called a timeout and Butler committed a foul on the inbounds play. White sank two free throws to cut it to 106-105 with six seconds left.

 

Champagnie then hit one of two free throws to make it 107-105 with 5.1 seconds to go. DeRozan missed a heave at the buzzer.

 

Washington was without leading scorer Kyle Kuzma (sore left shoulder) for the third time in five games. Wizards guard Tyus Jones (back sprain) missed his sixth game in a row, while guard Landry Shamet (strained left calf) missed his eighth straight. Interim coach Brian Keefe said Jones appears to be further along than Shamet, though he didn't have a timetable on either player.

 

Bulls guard Lonzo Ball continues activities such as sprinting as he works his way back from a series of surgeries on his left knee. Chicago coach Billy Donovan indicated the next big step in Ball's recovery probably will come in the summer.

 

Ball hasn’t played since Jan. 14, 2022. He's had three operations since then, including a cartilage transplant in March 2023.

 

The Bulls host the Indiana Pacers on Wednesday.

Illinois To Tip at 10 ET/9 CT in Sweet 16 Matchup With Iowa State

The 2024 NCAA Tournament continues Thursday with four Sweet 16 games — two in the East Region in Boston, two more in the West Region in Los Angeles.

 

The only game on Thursday between two top-three seeds is Iowa State-Illinois. The Cyclones are the No. 2 seed in the East. The Illini are the No. 3 seed in the East. Iowa State opened a 2.5-point favorite. If the Cyclones win, they'll then be just one more victory away from advancing to the Final Four for the first time since 1944.

 

The winner plays Thursday's earlier game in Boston between fifth-seeded San Diego State and top-seeded UConn. That game tips at 6:39 central time with Illinois and Iowa State to follow 30 minutes later.

 

North Carolina vs. Alabama — a No. 1 vs. No. 4 game in the West Region inside crytpo.com Arena. The Tar Heels, led by All-American guard RJ Davis, made the Sweet 16 for the second time in three years by beating Wagner and Michigan State by double-digits. The Crimson Tide, led by All-American guard Mark Sears, made the Sweet 16 for the third time in four years by beating Charleston and Grand Canyon by double-digits.

 

Thursday's tip is set for 9:39 p.m. ET on CBS.

Golden Knights Walk Off Blues in Overtime

Jonathan Marchessault scored 49 seconds into overtime and the Vegas Golden Knights beat the St. Louis Blues 2-1 Monday night for their third straight win.

 

Pavel Dorofeyev also scored and Logan Thompson stopped 30 shots to help Vegas win for the sixth time in its last eight games. The Golden Knights moved five points ahead of the Blues for the final Western Conference wild card.

 

Brandon Saad scored and Jordan Binnington finished with 32 saves for St. Louis, which had won two straight games and five of its last seven.

 

The Blues' Pavel Buchnevich was awarded a penalty shot 30 seconds into overtime after Noah Hanifin tripped him on breakaway. Thompson denied him with a glove save to keep the score deadlocked at 1-1.

 

Just 19 seconds later, Marchessault picked up a loose puck behind the Blues' net while William Karlsson fended off two players along the end boards, brought it out on the left side and settled it before firing his 39th goal of the season past Binnington.

 

The Blues host Calgary on Thursday night.

HS Baseball: Monticello Sweeps Saturday Twin Bill

Monticello picked up a pair of good victories on Saturday with a 4-1 win over New Berlin and a 2-1 win over Routt Catholic in round-robin baseball action from Monticello High School.

 

Hayden Romano allowed an unearned run in five innings of work in the opener. The sophomore allowed just a hit, walked two and struck out four. 

 

Raiden Colbert drove in two. Carter Foran finished 2-for-3 with an RBI and a stolen base. Matt Swartz stole a base for Monticello as well who mustered just four hits and took advantage of four Pretzels turnovers.

 

In the second game, Koyie Williams struck out eight in six innings of one-run ball as the Sages topped one of 1A's top teams, Routt Catholic 2-1. 

 

Williams allowed six hits and a walk. The junior also drove in a run finishing 1-for-3 at the plate. Foran again finished 1-for-3 with an RBI. Jacob Long was 1-for-2 with a double. Luke Teschke and Swartz stole bases for the Monticello offense in the second game.

 

The Sages move to 10-0 on the season and will host Lincoln this afternoon. Hear the action on 95.9 FM WEZC and online at dewittdailynews.com. First pitch is set for 4:30 pm.

Illinois Rolls Duquesne On Way to Sweet 16

Terrence Shannon Jr. scored 30 points, Marcus Domask added 22 and Illinois made fast work of its 11th-seeded opponent from the Atlantic 10 in the third-seeded Illini's 89-63 victory over Duquesne on Saturday night.

 

Illinois (28-8) hadn't made it through the first weekend of the tournament in eight previous appearances.

 

Illinois and Iowa State will play in the NCAA Tournament for the first time. Illinois has won nine of the last 12 meetings but lost the last two, in 2018 and 2015.

William Byron Takes Home Second Win Sunday at COTA

William Bryon started from pole position and delivered a dominant drive in NASCAR’s first road course race of the season. The Hendrick Motorsports driver led 42 of 68 laps and built the big lead he needed to hold off a hard-charging run from Joe Gibbs Racing’s Christopher Bell over the final two laps.

 

Bell shaved nearly three seconds off Byron’s lead to create some late drama before Byron slammed the door over the final corners.

 

Byron led 23 laps of the first two stages but found himself quickly dropped to third at the start of the final stage as Ross Chastain, who won at COTA in 2022, jumped to the front.

 

Byron fought back to pass him with 25 laps to go and both cars pitted on the same lap. Chastain then got hung up in traffic on the re-entry and fell several cars behind.

 

That gave Byron the chance to open the gap he needed to keep Bell behind him at the end. Ty Gibbs, the 21-year-old grandson of team owner Joe Gibbs, finished third after getting passed by Bell with three laps to go.

 

The series moves to short-track racing next Sunday at Richmond Raceway in Richmond, Virginia.

Bradley Falls Cincinnati in Second Round of NIT

Jizzle James had 25 points in Cincinnati's 74-57 win over Bradley on Saturday in the NIT.

 

Dan Skillings Jr. added 20 points and five rebounds. Simas Lukosius added 17 points for the Bearcats (20-14). 

 

Malevy Leons led the way for the Braves (22-11) with 16 points and six rebounds. Connor Hickman scored 14.

 

Cincinnati took the lead with 18:36 left in the first half and did not give it up. James led their team in scoring with 14 points in the first half to help put them up 36-28 at the break.

 

Cincinnati advances to play the winner of Sunday's Indiana State versus Minnesota matchup.

Mt. Pulaski defeats Williamsville

In Central Illinois High School Baseball action, the Mount Pulaski Hilltoppers cruised to a 7-3 victory over the Williamsville Bullets.

 

Liam Smith started the scoring off for the Hilltoppers with a first-inning home run. Other Hilltoppers to put the ball in play were Smith, Payne, Clark, and Cowan.

 

Chance Payne took the mound for the Hilltoppers dominating the strike zone with 15 strikeouts. Payne only gave up one run through 5 and 1/3 innings. 

 

The game was canceled in the sixth inning due to weather.

 

Mount Pulaski moves to 4-0 with the victory, with their next matchup against Illini Central on March 26th with a 4:30 opening pitch.

Clinton Lady Maroons drop rivalry game

Clinton Lady Maroons Softball could not keep up with Maroa-Forsyth and fell 16-3 in a game heard on WHOW and all of its streaming platforms.

 

A single by Lainey Larner put Maroa-Forsyth on the board in the top of the first.

The Maroons took the lead in the botton of the first inning after Heidi Humble Doubled, and Avery Smith hit into a fielder's choice, each scoring one run.

 

Maroa-Forsyth flipped the game on its head in the top of the second, scoring six runs on four hits to take a 7-2 lead. The biggest blow in the inning was a double by Kelci Kahler that drove in two.

 

Maroa-Forsyth scored five runs on six hits in the top of the third inning. Kahler doubled, scoring one run, Taylor Crouch doubled, scoring two, and Aubrey Stewart homered to left field, scoring two.

 

Ashley Armstrong led things off in the cirlce for the Lady Maroons. Armstrong allowed 16 hits and 16 runs, only nine of those earned runs over five innings, striking out seven and walking one.

 

Danni Hovey stepped in the circle first for Maroa-Forsyth. Hovey gave up seven hits and three runs over five innings, striking out three and walking one.

Leadoff hitter Brooke Reeves led the Maroons with two hits in two at bats. Heidi Humble, Avery Smith, and Reeves each drove in one run for the Maroons.

Heidi Humble was awarded the ServPro of Piatt and DeWitt Counties player of the game for her offensive efforts.

 

Maroa-Forsyth accumulated 16 hits in the game. The Kahler sisters each collected three hits for the Lady Trojans. Kelci Kahler led Maroa-Forsyth with four runs batted in going three for four on the day. Lainey Larner, Aubrey Stewart, and Peyton Torbert each collected multiple hits for Maroa-Forsyth. 

 

The next game for the Lady Maroons is against Sullivan on Tuesday.

Monticello Sages walk off Westville Tigers

It came down to the wire on Friday at Monticello High School, as Monticello gravved the victory in walk-off fashion, 2-1, over the Westville Tigers. The game was tied at one in the botton of the seventh when Koyie Williams singled, scoring one run.

 

The pitching was strong on both sides. Monticello pitchers Ike Young and Brody Billedo struck out 10, while Westville struck out four.

 

The Sages were the first to get on the board in the second inning when one run scored on another play.

 

C Steinbaugh singled, which helped Westville tie the game at one in the top of the fourth inning.

 

Ike Young took the job on the mound to start the game, surrending five hits and one run over five innings, striking out eight and walking three.

 

C Schaumberg led things off on the mound for Westville, allowing one hit and one run (zero earned) over four inings, striking out four and walking two.

 

Brody Billedo took over pitching responsibilites for the Sages pitching two innings of shutout ball. Billedo surrendered zero hits, striking out two and walking one.

 

Koyie Williams led Monticello's offense with one RBI. The infielder went 1-for-4 on the day. Eli Craft, Colbert Raiden and Williams each collected one hit for the Sages. Ike Young had two stolen bases.

 

The Sages move to 8-0 on the season gearing up for a game against the Routt Catholic Rockets on Saturday.

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