By Fred Kroner
Parker Fitch fired his second consecutive no-hitter and helped the Prairieview Ogden Junior High baseball team increase its winning streak to nine.
Fitch pitched 4 1/3 hitless innings on Tuesday (Sept. 7) at home against Gifford in a 5-0 win. The game was called at that juncture by inclement weather.
Fitch was also 2-for-2 at the plate and stole two bases.
On Thursday (Sept. 9), Coy Hayes pitched his second shutout and the team’s fifth as PVO completed its home schedule with a 5-0 win over Bismarck-Henning.
Hayes threw 6 2/3 innings, yielding one hit while striking out 10. Reliever Lane McKinney retired the only batter he faced to finish off the shutout.
McComas totaled three hits. Fitch and Kodey McKinney each swatted two hits. Fitch stole three bases.
On Saturday (Sept. 4), PVO scored in double figures for the ninth time this season, overpowering Villa Grove 14-2 at home.
Jemeson Ehler picked up the win after throwing four innings. He allowed four hits and one walk while fanning seven batters.
Vance McComas led the offensive assault. He was 3-for-3 (with two doubles) and drove in four runs. Kodey McKinney finished with two hits and four stolen bases.
PVO won the Three Rivers Conference with a 10-1 league record.
On Friday (Sept. 10), PVO dropped a 17-9 decision to St. Matthew.
Coy Hayes staked PVO to an early lead, slugging a three-run homer in the first inning.
Dalton York, Casen Goff and Ehler shared the pitching load.
The teams were tied, 8-8, going into the bottom of the fifth inning.
PVO regrouped in its regular-season finale against Next Generation on Tuesday (Sept. 14).
Three pitchers combined to throw a perfect game in a 14-0 triumph. Fitch struck out seven in two innings. Hayes pitched an inning, as did Lane McKinney, who registered a strikeout to end the game.
Hitting heroes were Hayes and Kaden Wedig with two apiece. McComas knocked in four runs.
The Mustangs are 14-3 overall and return to action on Saturday (Sept. 18) in an IESA Class 1A regional semifinal game at Champaign St. Matthew against either fourth-seeded Champaign Next Generation or fifth-seeded Homer Heritage. PVO is the No. 1 seed.
