SJ-O Softball and Baseball to play in Regional title games, Dowling on fire, News-Gazette Honor Roll Track meet results
By FRED KRONER
fred@sjodaily.com
St. Joseph-Ogden’s girls’ 3,200-meter relay placed third in Monday’s 38th News-Gazette Honor Roll Track and Field meet at Urbana High School.
The relay runners were Hannah Rajlich, Rylee Sjuts, Kailyn Ingram and Addie Allen. The foursome was timed in 10 minutes, 41.99 seconds.
That relay is one of four the Spartans have qualified for state, along with seven individuals. The Class 1A portion of the state meet, at Eastern Illinois University in Charleston, starts today.
Boys’ track and field
Hayden Knott secured two top four placements on Monday in the 38th-annual News-Gazette Honor Roll Meet at Urbana High School.
Knott placed third in the discus (149 feet, 1 inch) and fourth in the shot put (49 feet, 3 inches).
The Spartans had placers in two other events.
Sprinter Aiden Meyer was second in the 100-meter dash (11.14 seconds) and the SJ-O 1,600-meter relay unit was also second, posting a time of 3 minutes, 32.47 seconds.
The relay runners were Brady Buss, Lane Gaskin, Kaleb Harshbarger and Ethan Vanliew.
The Spartans return to action on Friday when they host their own Class 1A sectional meet.
Softball
Bailey Dowling had her first three-home run game of the season on Tuesday as the Spartans opened postseason play with an 11-0 triumph over Monticello in the Maroa-Forsyth Class 2A Regional.
Dowling was 4-for-4 and drove in six runs in the five-inning game. Hannah Dukeman had two RBI and Jacey Lewis scored three runs.
Dowling’s outburst raised her season total to 22 home runs and her all-time state career record to 65 homers.
Tori Witruk pitched a complete-game one-hitter. She walked two and struck out five.
SJ-O (21-9) will play the host Trojans in Saturday’s 11 a.m. regional championship game. In an early-season game, SJ-O shut out Maroa-Forsyth, 9-0.
The Spartans are chasing an 11th consecutive regional crown in softball.
Baseball
The Spartans ran their winning streak to eight games on Wednesday, edging Villa Grove/Heritage 3-2 in a semifinal game of the Tolono Class 2A Regional.
SJ-O will play in Saturday’s 11 a.m. championship game against the winner of today’s contest between the host Rockets and Monticello.
Adam Rose pitched a complete-game in the regional semis. He allowed three hits, walked one and struck out 11.
He was backed by an errorless defense and a six-hit attack, which included a 3-for-3 showing from Drew Coursey. One of Coursey’s hits was a home run.
Spartan teammates who drove in runs were Adam Frerichs and Kaden Jacobs. Coursey, Frerichs and Rose scored the SJ-O runs.
Frerichs, Crayton Burnett and Brayden Weaver collected the Spartans’ other hits. Weaver’s double was the team’s other extra-base hit.
SJ-O has a 25-8-2 season record.
