Spartan baseball holds on to defeat Tolono

By Fred Kroner

St. Joseph-Ogden scored two runs in the bottom of the sixth inning on Thursday (May 4) and held on to beat Tolono Unity, 8-7, in an Illini Prairie Conference baseball game at Meier Field.

Kendrick Johnson, who pitched 1 1/3 innings of hitless relief, picked up the win. Johnson walked no one and struck out two hitters.

Tanner Jacob and Braxton Waller both reached base all four times they batted. Jacob had two hits and drew two walks. Waller had one hit and received three walks.

Jacob drove in three runs and Waller scored twice.

Luke Landrus had two RBI as did Coy Taylor. Maddux Carter and Adam Price both tallied two runs.

On Saturday (May 6), the Spartans split two games in their own invitational tournament at Meier Field.

SJ-O dropped a 4-3 decision in the first game to Decatur St. Teresa and rebounded to overpower Braidwood Reed Custer, 12-2, in the second game.

Carter led the Spartans in Game 1 with two hits. Nolan Earley scored two runs and Jacob produced two RBI.

Connor Hale pitched six innings, walking three and striking out nine hitters. He took the loss. Coy Taylor pitched the final inning and struck out all three hitters that he faced.

In the second game, Carter was 3-for-3. Landrus and Price also swatted three hits.

Price drove in four runs. Carter and Earley each delivered three RBI. Landrus scored three runs. Price and Waller each tallied two runs.

Johnson (7-0) threw four innings to snare the win. He walked three and struck out six.

Price pitched the final inning and duplicated Taylor’s first-game performance. Price faced three hitters and fanned all three.

Carter, Earley and Price were the Spartans with hits in each game.

SJ-O (24-7) returns to action on Monday (May 8) at Danville.