By Fred Kroner
University of Illinois recruit Crayton Burnett won his 10th game – and sixth by shutout – on Wednesday (June 9) as St. Joseph-Ogden advanced to a sectional championship game and a berth among the state’s final 16 Class 2A schools.
Burnett fired a one-hitter – facing one batter over the minimum – as the Spartans blanked Shelbyville 7-0 in a sectional semifinal game at St. Joseph. Burnet walked no one and set down 19 consecutive Rams to end his time on the mound.
He was backed by an errorless defense and a 13-hit attack which featured a 4-for-4 performance from Tyler Altenbaumer and a 3-for-3 showing from Keaton Nolan.
Nolan’s double was the game’s only extra-base hit. He drove in Isaiah Immke in the second inning to break a scoreless tie and provide Burnett with the only run he would need.
Altenbaumer drove in two runs. Burnett and Nolan each had one RBI. Andrew Beyers was 2-for-3.
Hayden Brazelton had a single, raising his hitting streak to 12 games.
The shutout was the 10th of the spring for SJ-O, which extended its winning streak to 20 games.
Shelbyville ends its season with a 21-4 overall record.
To reach the sectional, the Spartans topped visiting Oakwood 7-4 on Monday (June 7) in a Class 2A regional championship game in St. Joseph.
The regional was the eighth in succession for top-seeded SJ-O in years in which a postseason series has been held. (There was no tournament series in 2020).
Altenbaumer pitched the first five innings and collected the win. He also led SJ-O’s six-hit attack by going 2-for-4. He drove in two runs as did Brazelton.
Burnett, who pitched the final two innings, slugged a solo home run. In his mound stint, Burnett allowed no hits and struck out three batters.
Altenbaumer (8-0) yielded six hits, walked three and fanned six.
Top-seeded SJ-O (32-2) returns to action on Saturday (June 12) at 11 a.m. at home against second-seeded Paris (25-3) in the sectional championship game. That winner will be in the state’s Elite Eight.
