Panther baseball season comes to end in state tournament
By FRED KRONER
The St. Joseph Panthers were held scoreless on Friday (Sept. 29) in an IESA Class 2A state tournament quarterfinal game at Eastside Centre, in Peoria.
St. Joseph dropped a 2-0 decision to then-undefeated Staunton, allowing single runs in the fifth and sixth innings.
The Panthers were held to two hits. Kiptyn Rosenthal and Ike Shelato had the team’s safeties. Shelato also drew a walk. The Panthers’ other base runner was Owen Wall, who was hit by a pitch.
Ryder VanMeenen pitched 6 2/3 innings and took the loss. He allowed five hits, but walked no one and struck out four hitters. Shelato got the final out.
St. Joseph closes the season with a 12-7 record. Staunton was 15-0 after the game and wound up placing third at state.
For the season, five St. Joseph players (with at least 10 at-bats) ended with batting averages of .300, or better.
The team leaders were Rosenthal (.379), Shelato (.375), Hunter Cler (.349), Van Meenen (.339) and Lucas Barton (333).
Rosenthal (20), Shelato (19) and Van Meenen (19) were tops in runs scored. Van Meenen (14), Landon May (12), Barton (11) and Brock Franzen (11) were the RBI leaders.
May (seven) laced the most extra-base hits. The stolen base leaders were Rosenthal (14), Shelato (11) and Cler (eight).
Ten different squad members had pitching appearances and seven recorded at least one win.
The leaders were Van Meenen (4-4), Franzen (2-0), Shelato (2-1), Cler (1-0), Trey Divan (1-1), May (1-0) and Wall (1-0).
Van Meenen led in innings pitched (39 2/3) and strikeouts (42).
ERA leaders, with at least 10 innings, were Franzen (1.70), Van Meenen (1.94), Wall (2.10), Shelato (2.38) and Divan (2.80).
Van Meenen and Shelato each pitched in eight games. Divan had five appearances.
