In the final week of the regular season, St. Joseph won four games in five days, including three wins in a row by shutout.
The shutout streak started on Tuesday (Sept. 7) in the home finale, 10-0, over Champaign St. Matthew.
On Wednesday (Sept. 8), the Panthers blanked Urbana 19-0 on the road. On Friday (Sept. 10), St. Joseph shut out Oakwood, also on the road, 13-0.
The week ended on Saturday (Sept. 11) with a 12-2 win at Paxton-Buckley-Loda.
Against Urbana, Trevor Ames (two innings) and Gary Page (one inning) teamed up on a no-hitter. Ames struck out five batters. Page fanned one.
Will Haley, Logan Rosenthal, Bryson Houchens, Asher Pruemer and Nolan Franzen all socked two hits. Haley had four RBI. Houchens drove in three runs. Rosenhal, Pruemer and Franzen each knocked in two runs.
Haley scored three runs and swiped two bases. Houchens belted two doubles. Haley hit one double.
Against Oakwood, Pruemer pitched a two-hitter. In four innings, he walked no one and struck out eight.
Ames and Cam Schluter each had two hits. Haley drilled a home run and also stole two bases.
Ames, Schluter, Haley and Brennan Oleynichak all had two RBI.
Rosenthal stole two bases and scored two runs.
Against PBL, Haley homered for the second game in a row. He was 2-for-2 and also tallied two runs.
Rosenthal was 3-for-4 with four RBI. Ames was 3-for-3. Pruemer stole three bases.
He scored two runs as did Haley and Rosenthal.
Rosenthal picked up the win. In four innings, he scattered two hits and allowed no runs. He struck out five. Schluter pitched the final inning and ended with three strikeouts.
St. Joseph (14-3) carries a seven-game winning streak into the postseason. The top-seeded Panthers will play at home in the Class 2A IESA regional semifinals on Saturday (Sept. 18) against either fourth-seeded Georgetown or fifth-seeded Holy Cross.
