By FRED KRONER
St. Joseph Middle School Baseball
The unbeaten St. Joseph junior high baseball team earned back-to-back road wins to start the week.
The Panthers posted a 6-3 win at Paris Mayo on Monday (Aug. 15) and followed up on Tuesday (Aug. 16) with a 16-1 conquest at Gibson City.
Willis Canamore, Nolan Franzen and Tripp Palmer all delivered two hits at Paris. Finn Miller and Cam Buskirk each knocked in two runs. Palmer tallied two runs.
Buskirk picked up the pitching win with 1 2/3 innings of scoreless relief.
Against Gibson City, Miller swatted three hits. Canamore, Eli Garrett and Brayden Waller contributed two hits apiece.
Garrett had three RBI. Canamore, Franzen and Isaiah Uskali all drove in two runs.
Canamore crossed home plate four times. Scoring two runs each were Miller, Garrett, Palmer and Buskirk.
Ryder Van Meenen pitched four innings and captured the win. He walked no one and struck out four. Owen Wall worked two scoreless innings, striking out two.
On Saturday (Aug. 13), Garrett, Miller and Buskirk all had hits in both games on as St. Joseph swept a doubleheader at home from Bloomington Evans.
Garrett homered in the opener, a 5-4 win by the Panthers. St. Joseph completed the sweep with a 10-4 conquest in Game 2.
For the two games, Miller was 3-for-5, Buskirk was 3-for-7 and Garrett was 2-for-5. Buskirk drove in two runs in each game. Garrett had two RBI in the first game.
Palmer also had a hit in the opener.
In the second game, Canamore delivered two hits. Tyler Wright had two hits, both of which were doubles. They each knocked in two second-game runs.
Van Meenen, who scored a run in each game, had an RBI in Game 2.
Miller notched the first-game win with two hitless and scoreless innings. He struck out one. Starter Franzen pitched five innings and fanned three.
In the nightcap, Canamore struck out nine in 4 2/3 innings and earned the win. Garrett pitched the final 2 1/3 innings and fanned one.
St. Joseph (6-0) returns to action on Wednesday (Aug. 17) at home against Tolono Unity.
