Parker Fitch was the winning pitcher in both games as top-seeded Prairieview Ogden defeated two foes to win an IESA Class 1A baseball regional.

Fitch and Coy Hayes combined to throw a perfect game on Saturday (Sept. 18) in a semifinal game at home, a 16-0 three-inning win over Next Generation.

Fitch struck out five of the six batters he faced in two innings. It was his fourth consecutive start without allowing a run. Hayes fanned the side in the final inning.

Kodey McKinney and Vance McComas each swatted three hits. McComas scored three runs and McKinney ripped two triples.

Fitch, Dalton York, Lane McKinney and Royce Loschen all finished with two hits.

PVO took control with a seven-run first inning.

McComas, York, Lane McKinney and Graham Ray wound up driving in two runs apiece.

On Monday (Sept. 21), Fitch pitched 5 2/3 innings in a 4-1 regional championship-game victory over Schlarman Academy.

He scattered three hits and struck out 12.

Hayes worked the last 1 1/3 innings and didn’t permit a hit.

Kodey McKinney produced two of the Mustangs’ six hits. Hayes stole two bases and tallied two runs.

The Mustangs scored the runs they needed during a three-run fifth inning.

PVO (16-3) returns to action on Saturday (Sept. 25) in a sectional championship game against Gifford (14-4) at Champaign St. Matthew.

PVO has won 12 of its last 13 games, one of which was a shutout over Gifford.

The Saturday winner secures a berth in the state tournament, which starts on Oct. 1 in Peoria.

The post PVO baseball takes Regional Championship first appeared on SJO Daily.

In baseball wins over Armstrong-Potomac (Thursday, Aug. 19), over Rossville (Monday, Aug. 23), and over Schlarman (Tuesday, Aug. 24) the Prairieview Ogden Junior High Mustangs had their fourth, fifth and sixth different players pick up pitching wins.

Jemesen Ehler pitched 4 1/3 innings in an 11-1 victory over Armstrong. He allowed three hits and struck out seven.

In a 24-2 triumph over Rossville, Graham Ray yielded four hits in three innings. He fanned four.

Coy Hayes, who hammered two home runs and drove in four runs, threw the final inning against Rossville.

And, in a 10-1 triumph over a one-loss Schlarman Academy squad, Parker Fitch worked 6 1/3 innings, yielding five hits while striking out 12. Lane McKinney closed out the win on the mound after Fitch reached his IESA-imposed pitch limit.

Against Rossville, Hayes, Fitch and Kodey McKinney had three hits each. Fitch laced two triples to go with a single. He had four RBI. Lane McKinney and Kaden Wedig collected two hits apiece.

Against Armstrong, Fitch and Lane McKinney totaled three hits. Wyatt McKinney had two hits. Fitch’s hits included a double and a triple. Kodey McKinney drove in three runs. Garrett Loschen scored three runs.

Against Schlarman, PVO took command with a four-run fourth inning, which featured a two-run double by Ray and solo RBIs from Vance McComas and Lane McKinney.

For the game, Ray and Lane McKinney each had two hits and knocked in three runs. Both players ripped one extra-base hit. Fitch’s lone hit in the game was a triple.

Other Mustangs with pitching wins besides Ehler, Ray and Fitch are Hayes, Dalton York and Lane McKinney.

PVO is 6-2 and returns to action on Thursday (Aug. 26) at Westville.

“This is by far the deepest team I’ve ever had,” coach Greg Immke said. “There are 45 kids in the junior high and I have 21 out for baseball.

“Many of the kids not starting this year would be starters on other years’ teams. It’s a great group of kids who have bought in and work hard.”

The post PV-O baseball wins three consecutive first appeared on SJO Daily.

Prairieview Ogden bounced back from a first-game loss to post two consecutive wins by the 10-run rule.

The Mustangs dispatched Homer Heritage 12-0 on Monday (Aug. 16) after overpowering Salt Fork 13-2 on Saturday (Aug. 14).

Dalton York fired a one-hitter against Homer, walking no one and striking out eight batters.

PVO put the game away with a six-run third inning. Kaden Wedig, Kodey McKinney, Jansen Maury and York all had run-scoring hits in the inning.

Wedig finished the game 3-for-3 at the plate.

Against Salt Fork, Coy Hayes pitched four innings of scoreless ball and notched the win. He allowed two hits, walked no one and fanned nine.

The Mustangs expanded a 1-0 lead with a seven-run second-inning outburst.

York, McKinney, Hayes and Parker Fitch all wound up with two hits.

Vance McComas, McKinney, Fitch, Hayes, Jemeson Ehler and Wedig registered hits for PVO in its season-opening baseball game, an 11-3 loss at St. Joseph on Wednesday (Aug. 11).

The Mustangs used four pitchers. Starter Fitch suffered the loss. He was followed to the hill by York, Graham Ray and Hayes.

York was a bright spot defensively with his play at second base.

PVO is 2-1.

The post PV-O baseball picks up two wins first appeared on SJO Daily.

St. Joseph Softball

With a win in its final regular-season game, St. Joseph carries a 14-4 record into the postseason, which starts today at home with a regional game against Rantoul.

Coach Larry Sparks is pleased by the way his players have handled a schedule with a lot of games in a short amount of time.

“The girls continue to battle through game stacked upon game,” Sparks said. “That process is hard enough for a veteran high school team, but is extremely hard on middle school players when there are no days to practice.”

Team leaders have included eighth-graders Chloe Harper, Addison Frick, Addy Martinie, Halle Brazelton, Peyton Williams, Sadie Erickson and Madison Stevens as well as seventh-graders Thea Smith and Chayse Palmer.

Prairieview Ogden Baseball

The Mustangs (9-4) extended their winning streak to six games on Tuesday with a 9-6 victory over the Gifford Eagles.

The PVO nine-hit attack was led by Coy Taylor, Mitchell Wright and Hayden Williams, each of whom collected at least two hits. Taylor finished 3-for-4.

Caleb Ochs’ two-run double highlighted a three-run fourth inning when PVO went ahead to stay.

“The boys are playing well,” said coach Greg Immke, whose squad played error-free ball against Gifford.

The Mustangs are averaging 12.5 runs during the past seven games.

Tuesday’s game was the team’s home finale and the seven PVO eighth-graders were recognized: Gabe Carter, Talen Miller, Caleb Ochs, Cole Pruitt, Colin Wayland, Hayden Williams and Mitchell Wright.

The post St. Joseph Softball heads into postseason, Prairieview baseball extends win streak first appeared on SJO Daily.

St. Joseph Middle School Girls’ cross-country

The St. Joseph Middle School girls’ cross-country team captured team honors on Thursday (Aug. 29) in a six-team meet at Paxton-Buckley-Loda.

St. Joseph’s team scored was 18. Runner-up Pontiac had a score of 80. Heritage was fifth was a score of 114.

The St. Joseph team leader was Savanna Franzen. Her 2-mile time was 13 minutes, 34 seconds.

Rounding out the team’s top 10 were: Helene Jones (13:58), Chloe Burkhalter (14:21), Madison Clampitt (14:40), Maya Chahine (15:06), Jaci Kellenberger (16:19), Sophia Casper (16:39), Chloe Allen (16:40), Macy Reed (16:53) and Hannah Moch (17:16).

St. Joseph’s next meet is on Friday at Chrisman for the Cowchip Classic.

St. Joseph Middle School Boys’ cross-country

St. Joseph and Heritage were the top two team finishers in a Thursday meet at Paxton-Buckley-Loda.

Meet champion St. Joseph had a team score of 20, followed by Heritage (62 points) in the six-school event.

Leading the way for the St. Joseph Panthers was Carson Maroon. He ran the 2-mile course in 12 minutes, 5 seconds.

Others who were among the team’s top 10 finishers were Holden Brazelton (12:43), Spencer Wilson (12:52), Kendrick Johnson (13:11), Zach Harper (13:12), Jack Fisher (13:29), Lance Retz (13:32), Drew Thurman (13:34), Rowan Musselman (13:35) and Isiah Moch (13:35).

The Panthers return to action on Friday in the Chrisman Cowchip Classic.

St. Joseph Middle School Softball

St. Joseph improved its season record to 13-4 with three wins in the past week.

It started with a 19-7 conquest of Urbana, a game where Addison Frick led the offensive attack.

St.  Joseph then topped Bismarck-Henning 8-3 before losing to Villa Grove, 14-7, and then to Mattoon, 8-5.

On Tuesday, the team topped Rantoul 14-3 with Addy Martinie, Halle Brazelton and Chayse Palmer sparking the offense.

Madison Stevens earned the pitching win.

St. Joseph concludes its home schedule today with a game against Danville. On Thursday the team will finish the regular season with a game at Champaign Edison.

Prairieview Ogden Baseball

The Mustangs (3-4) dropped two heart-breaking decisions in a five-day span.

On Tuesday against Oakwood, PVO fell behind 14-1 in the third inning before losing a 16-15 decision at home. The game ended with Mustang runners stranded on second and third base.

Caleb Ochs, Coy Taylor, Talan Miller and Kodey McKinney all collected at least two hits for PVO. Ochs finished 4-for-4.

Ochs, Taylor, Miller, Colin Wayland and Logan Lackey all drove in runs during the comeback bid.

Last Friday, Prairieview Ogden was beaten by St. Joseph, 5-3. PVO left the bases loaded in the seventh inning.

The post St. Joseph Middle School CC and Softball pick-up wins, Prairieview baseball loses two first appeared on SJO Daily.