The South Central Cougars are headed to the State Final Four for the first time in the school’s history after a roller coaster 15-14 win in 9-innings over Goreville at the 1a Super Sectional held at SIU-Carbondale. The Cougars jumped out to a 9-0 lead after 4 innings including scoring 6 times in the 2nd inning.
The Blackcats began their comeback scoring 4 times in the fifth and sixth innings and then trailing 12-8 in the 7th, Goreville scored 6 runs and grabbed a 14-12 lead. The Cougars never gave up and Beau Jolliff blasted a long home run and added a single that tied the game and sent it to extra innings. South Central got the win on a bases loaded walk of Sam Rubin in the bottom of the 9th. Aiden Dodson worked the first four innings. SC went to Spencer Johannes in the 5th but he only could get 2 outs and gave up 4 runs, 2 earned and walked 4. Coach Jones went back to Dodson who got the Cougars to the 7th when he ran out of pitches and Brandt Hiestand came in. He got the win going 3 innings allowing hits and 5 runs.
Dodson finished with 5 hits and 5 runs allowed but only 1 earned with 7 strike outs and 3 walks. Jolliff finished 2-4 with 4 RBI and 2 runs scored. Chase Dodson had 3 hits in 5 at bats and scored 5 runs with an RBI. Hiestand drove in 2 runs. Also driving in runs for the Cougars were Chase Thompson and Sebastian Cowger.
The Cougars are 24-3 and advance to the State Semifinals at Illinois State University on Thursday afternoon at 1pm against 21-1 Mt Pulaski. A win puts SC in the state title game at 7pm that night, a loss and they play for 3rd at 4pm. Both games Thursday will be aired on WJBD and streaming at WJBDradio.com. The other State Semifinal will see Newark take on Father McGivney.
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Freeburg is headed to the State Final Four after following up SC’s game at SIU last night with a 15-8 victory over Harrisburg. They will play at Illinois State at 1pm on Saturday against Normal University with Timothy Christian and Sacred Heart-Griffin in the other semifinal.
In 3a baseball Super Sectionals, Charleston dropped their Elite 8 game to Springfield 7-5. Also making the 3a final four this year were Prairie Ridge, Washington and St Laurance.
In 4a baseball Super Sectionals, O’Fallon advanced with a 9-4 win over Providence Catholic at ISU. They advance to the State Semis to play Lake Park at 1pm on Saturday.
