By Fred Kroner
For the fourth time in the past seven years, the St. Joseph Junior High baseball team has qualified for the IESA Class 2A state tournament.
The Panthers secured their berth on Saturday (Sept. 25) with a 7-0 win at home over Hoopeston Area in the sectional championship game.
The shutout was the third in succession for St. Joseph in the postseason.
The team (18-3) returns to action in the state quarterfinals on Friday (Oct. 1) at 4:30 p.m. in East Peoria against Pleasant Plains (22-4).
In the sectional finals, Bryson Houchens didn’t get credit for a complete game even though he made every pitch for the Panthers in the game.
Houchens reached his pitch limit after working 6 2/3 innings. He yielded one hit, walked three and struck out nine batters.
Trevor Ames was summoned to finish the game, but before he could throw a ball to the plate, he picked off a runner at first base to end the game.
Houchens received all of the offensive support he would need when his teammates staked him to a three-run first-inning lead.
Ames, Will Haley, Luke Smith and Tim Blackburn-Kelly all belted two hits for the Panthers. Haley’s hits were a double and a triple. He also scored two runs.
Houchens and Asher Pruemer both drove in two runs.
Since 2016, St. Joseph and Teutopolis are the only schools with two title-game appearances in the Class 2A segment of the IESA baseball event. The Panthers won the 2018 state crown and were the runners-up in 2016.
Friday’s winner will play in a noon semifinal game on Saturday (Oct. 2). The trophy games will be played later in the day.
The Panthers are coached by Josh Haley.
