By Fred Kroner
Parker Fitch turned in a dominating performance for the Prairieview Ogden baseball team on Saturday (Sept. 25) as the Mustangs advanced to the Class 1A IESA baseball state tournament for the second time in four years.
PVO also qualified in 2018.
Fitch pitched 6 2/3 innings in the sectional finals against Gifford, a 7-1 win for the Mustangs. He permitted two hits, walked two batters and fanned 15.
Coy Hayes finished the game, retiring one batter without permitting a hit.
PVO scored single runs in each of the first two innings and never trailed.
Kodey McKinney and Dalton York each produced three hits for the Mustangs.
York scored three runs. McKinney drove in two runs and also scored twice. Finishing with two RBI was Lane McKinney.
Fitch has won seven straight decisions and hasn’t allowed more than one run in any of those outings.
PVO (17-3) returns to action in the 9:30 a.m. quarterfinal game on Friday (Oct. 1) against Effingham Sacred Heart (14-3). The state tournament is being held at the Eastside Centre, in East Peoria.
Friday’s winner will play in a 10 a.m. semifinal game on Saturday (Oct. 2). The trophy games will be played later in the day.
The Mustangs, coached by Greg Immke, have won 13 of their last 14 games. The 17 wins is a single-season school record.
“The most important thing that PVO has going on is that the culture of baseball is strong,” Immke said. “When I started (coaching), we had 11 kids that went out.
“This year we had 21. We have kids this year not starting that any other year would be a starter. We are strong one through nine (in the batting order) with several good pitchers.
“At the state tournament, it’s all about matchups and we will try to put our best foot forward and see what happens.”
