Monticello Snaps St. Joseph-Ogden’s 17-Game Winning Streak with 9-5 Victory
By FRED KRONER
In a showdown for first place in the Illini Prairie Conference on Monday (May 6), visiting Monticello halted the 17-game winning streak of the St. Joseph-Ogden baseball team with a 9-5 win at Meier Field.
Both schools finish 8-1 in league play.
Tanner Jacob, Luke Landrus, Logan Rosenthal, Jared Altenbaumer and Kodey McKinney scored the Spartans’ runs.
Landrus, Earley, Rosenthal, Bryson Houchens and McKinney stroked one hit each for SJ-O.
Landrus, Earley, Rosenthal and Houchens all knocked in one run.
Landrus suffered his first loss of the season. In four innings, he walked four and fanned seven. Parker Fitch worked 2 2/3 innings before Altenbaumer got the final out in the seventh inning.
On Saturday (May 4), SJ-O won twice in its own round-robin tournament at Meier Field.
SJ-O defeated Tri-Valley, 9-2, in the first game thanks to home runs from Braxton Waller and Will Haley.
In the second game, the Spartans recovered from a two-run deficit to whip Reed Custer, 15-5. Houchens homered in that game.
Seven Spartans had hits in both games: Jacob (3-for-9 overall), Landrus (4-for-8 overall), Earley (4-for-7 overall), Rosenthal (2-for-5 overall), Altenbaumer (2-for-6 overall), Houchens (4-for-7 overall) and Haley (3-for-6 overall).
Landrus, who drove in seven runs for the day, continued his power-hitting display. After bashing three doubles for the day, Landrus has at least one extra-base hits in six straight games and eight of his last nine.
Waller knocked in runs in both games and has a team-high 57 RBI for the season.
Haley and McKinney both scored five runs between the two games. Houchens was the only Spartan with two hits in each Saturday game.
Asher Pruemer, who has not allowed an earned run in his last four appearances covering 15 innings, earned the first-game win. He struck out a season-high seven batters in a season-high six innings.
Caleb Ochs worked the final inning.
In Game 2, Trevor Ames threw five innings and fanned five hitters. Dalton York pitched the last inning.
On Thursday (May 2), Waller drove in four runs and Haley knocked in three runs as the St. Joseph-Ogden baseball team topped Unity, 12-5, in Tolono.
Waller’s three hits included a double and a home run. Haley’s two hits included a double.
Jacob, Landrus, Earley and Rosenthal all chipped in with one RBI. Earley and Rosenthal collected two hits. Finishing with one hit apiece were Landrus and Altenbaumer.
Landrus scored three runs and Jacob tallied twice. Scoring one run apiece were Waller, Earley, Rosenthal, Houchen, Ames, Haley and Luke Smith.
Earley, Houchens and Fitch delivered two RBI in Game 2. Haley knocked in three runs in the opener.
Earley (4-0) pitched the first 6 2/3 innings and picked up the win. He walked two and fanned weight batters. Altenbaumer closed the game out, striking out the lone batter that he faced.
On Friday (May 3), SJ-O throttled Paxton-Buckley-Loda at Meier Field behind the hitting exploits of Waller and Rosenthal, each of whom pounded three hits and drove in two runs.
Landrus ended with two hits and teammates Jacob and Houchens had one hit apiece.
Other Spartans who delivered an RBI were Jacob, Landrus, Earley, Houchens, Fitch, Haley and McKinney.
Scoring two runs apiece were Jacob, Landrus, Waller, Rosenthal and Haley. Crossing home plate one time were Altenbaumer, McKinney, Smith and Pruemer.
Houchens (6-0) worked five innings and permitted three hits. He walked five batters and registered two strikeouts.
Altenbaumer threw the last inning and struck out one hitter.
SJ-O (28-3) returns to action on Wednesday (May 8) at Mount Zion. Monticello is 28-2.
