SJ-O baseball hits 20-win mark, Cromwell reaches 40th career win
By FRED KRONER
fred@sjodaily.com
St. Joseph-Ogden recovered from a five-run third-inning deficit on Monday to reach the 20-win mark in baseball for the eighth consecutive season.
The Spartans needed eight innings to subdue Danvillle 11-7 in Danville.
Joseph Acton – who pitched three innings of one-hit ball – picked up the win in relief of Zach Martinie. Crayton Burnett pitched the final inning.
Acton struck out four and walked three in his stint. Burnett walked one and fanned one.
Burnett and Jaden Miller led SJ-O offensively, finishing with two hits apiece.
Martinie drove in two runs.
Sam Wesley and Nicholas Boggs each scored two runs.
On Wednesday, Drew Coursey pounded three hits – two of which were doubles – as the Spartans won their fourth straight game, 7-3 over visiting Monticello.
Winning pitcher Adam Rose worked six scoreless innings, yielding four hits, walking one and fanning seven.
Coursey pitched the final inning and did not allow an earned run.
Other offensive leaders were Burnett with two hits, Adam Frerichs with two runs batted in and Rose with two runs scored.
SJ-O (21-8-2) returns to action, weather permitting, today at Mattoon.
Softball
Ashtyn Cromwell pitched a complete game and earned her 40th career varsity victory on Monday as the Spartans handled visiting Monticello 11-1 in an Illini Prairie Conference game.
Cromwell was backed by an offense that featured home runs by Katie Poulter and Kaylee Ward.
Hannah Dukeman swatted three hits for the Spartans. Bailey Dowling had two hits and scored four runs.
On Tuesday, Zoey Witruk struck out 13 batters in a complete-game pitching performance as the Spartans won at Olympia, 7-2.
Pouter and Dowling each cracked home runs. Savannah Smith contributed two hits and drove in four runs.
SJ-O (17-7) returns to action, weather permitting, tonight at home against Champaign Central.