By FRED KRONER
fred@sjodaily.com
Hannah Dukeman drove in five runs, four on a grand slam and one on a solo homer, and Raegen Crippen had four hits on Wednesday as unbeaten St. Joseph-Ogden pounded visiting Bismarck-Henning/Rossville-Alvin, 18-8, in a high school softball game.
Ashtyn Cromwell (3-0) pitched four innings and earned the win. She struck out four.
Also homering for the Spartans were Bailey Dowling (twice), Kennedy Hudson, Savannah Smith and Kaylee Ward.
Overall, the Spartans hammered seven home runs, giving them 14 in five games. Dukeman has a team-high four home runs.
SJ-O (5-0) returns to action on Saturday in the Rantoul Tournament.
Oakwood
After going scoreless in their first two games, the Comets unleashed a 14-run offensive output on Tuesday while posting a 14-3 win at home over Tri-County.
Freshman Alaina Rothwell slugged a three-run home run for Oakwood (1-2) and finished with two hits.
Teammate Savannah Nevitt had two hits as did Paiton Frerichs. Kylie Neuman, who belted two doubles, knocked in three runs.
Neuman struck out seven Titans and earned the pitching win. She walked two and allowed five hits in her seven-inning performance.
On Wednesday, the Comets (2-2) topped visiting Blue RIdge 8-6.
Kerrigane Shafer struck out 10 Blue Ridge batters in 5 2/3 innings. Neuman got the final four outs and picked up a save.
The Knights are 5-2.
The Comets overcame a 2-0 deficit with a seven-run fourth inning.
Nine Oakwood players batted and all nine had a base hit. Eight squad members scored a run.
Shafer and Aubrey Wells each knocked in two runs.
On Monday, Oakwood lost its home opener to Unity, 11-0.
Oakwood was held to two hits, one by leadoff batter Neuman in her first plate appearance and another by Wells.
The Comets return to action today at Arthur-Lovington/Atwood-Hammond.
Heritage
The Hawks (1-6) lost at home to Salt Fork, 22-2, on Tuesday and were shutout on Wednesday at Urbana, 4-0.
The Tigers (2-2) didn’t allow Heritage to have a baserunner.
Baseball
St. Joseph-Ogden
Ncholas Boggs’ second hit, in the bottom of the seventh inning, drove in Adam Rose with the lone run SJ-O could muster on Wednesday in a 2-1 loss at home to Centennial.
Crayton Burnett was the hard-luck loser. He allowed two hits in four innings while striking out 10. Neither run he allowed was earned. Burnett walked one batter.
Boggs was the only Spartan with more than one hit. Teammate Drew Coursey reached base twice with walks.
On Tuesday, Rose pitched a complete-game five-hitter as the Spartans won at Salt Fork, 12-2.
He struck out five and walked no one in the five-inning contest.
Rose had three hits and Adam Frerichs laced two hits. They combined to score five runs and drive in four.
Burnett also had two RBI.
SJ-O (5-4) returns to action today at home against Westville.
Oakwood
Isaiah Ruch and Elijah Harden homered for Oakwood, which dropped a 14-12 slugfest at home to Marshall on Wednesday.
Ruch was 3-for-3 with three runs batted in.
Harden totaled two hits as did teammates Brady Howard and Jacob Spear.
Howard, who suffered the pitching loss, scored four runs. Harden also had three RBI.
On Tuesday, the Comets were limited to two hits, a double by Harden and a single by Ruch, in a 15-1 loss to Paxton-Buckley-Loda at home.
Harden scored the lone Oakwood run in the first inning.
Brayden Hobick suffered the loss though none of the 10 runs scored against him in the first two innings were earned.
The Comets committed six errors.
Oakwood (2-4) returns to action today with a game at Villa Grove/Heritage.
Villa Grove/Heritage
The Hawks (4-4) matched their top offensive output of the spring, scoring an 11-3 decision over Judah Christian on Tuesday at home.
Keagan Patterson and Logan McKee combined on a five-hitter. Patterson struck out five in four innings pitched and picked up the win.
Noah Davison and Evan Wilson each landed two hits. Davison and Patterson each knocked in two runs.
The Hawks broke a 2-2 tie with a five-run second inning.
Boys’ track and field
Villa Grove/Heritage finished second in a four-team meet on Tuesday at Arcola.
Arcola was the meet winner with 66 points. VG/Heritage totaled 58 points to edge out third-place Tri-County (57 1/2).
The Blue Devils had winners in three events.
Trevor Reberger won the 200-meter dash (24.02 seconds) and Andrew McQueen won the 110-meter hurdles (19.89).
The 1,600 relay, which included Ashton Harrison, William Wilson, Sam Reno and McQueen, was victorious in 4:08.60.
VG/Heritage had the runner-up in four events.
Reberger was second in the 100 meters (12.12). Wilson was second in the 800 (2:23.24).
McQueen was second in the 300 hurdles (55.53) and Chase Burwell placed second in the shot put (42 feet, 9 1/2 inches).
Girls’ track and field
Samantha Campbell was a two-event winner on Tuesday, helping Villa Grove/Heritage finish second in a four-team meet at Arcola.
Campbell won the 800-meter dash (2:34.71) and the 1,600 meters (6:25.73).
Arthur-Lovington/Atwood-Hammond won the meet with 80 points. VG/Heritage had 53 points. Tri-County was third with 33.
Campbell beat teammate Katherine Eisenmenger to the finish line in the 800. Eisenmenger was timed in 3:33.68.
Eisenmenger, Sophia Wegeng, Isidora Davis and Sarah Brown teamed up to win the 3,200-meter relay in 15:02.32.
Another VG/Heritage athlete, Meike Hebrandt, had two second-place finishes.
She was the runner-up in the 200 meters (28.26 seconds) and the 400 meters (1:05.44).
