By FRED KRONER
Tyler Altenbaumer pitched the third straight shutout thrown by St. Joseph-Ogden pitchers on Monday (May 17) in an 8-0 Illini Prairie Conference win at Tolono Unity.
For the season, SJ-O has 11 shutout wins, four by Altenbaumer.
In his four-hitter – all singles – Altenbaumer (5-0) struck out 15 and walked one.
He was backed by a nine-hit attack – including a double that he hit – and was staked to a 2-0 lead in the third inning.
Ty Pence and Coby Miller each registered two hits. Miller, Keaton Nolan and Andrew Beyers each drove in two runs. Hayden Brazelton, who walked twice, scored two runs.
On Wednesday (May 19), Crayton Burnett kept the Spartans close for six innings and then drove in Isaiah Immke with the decisive, tie-breaking run in the top of the seventh as SJ-O earned a 2-1 win at Mount Zion.
Burnett (7-0), who signed a letter of intent to continue his baseball career at the University of Illinois on Tuesday, pitched 6 2/3 innings, walking no one and striking out 11. He yielded six hits. Pence was summoned in relief and ended the game by striking out the only batter he faced.
Immke and Beyers each had two hits for the Spartans.
SJ-O scored the tying run in the top of the seventh when Altenbaumer knocked in Miller.
SJ-O (22-2) has a 10-game winning streak and will return to action on Thursday (May 20) at home against Pontiac. The Spartans are 8-0 in Illini Prairie Conference games.
