The Salem Wildcats defeated the defending 2a state champion St Anthony Bulldogs 4-2 in 12-innings to run their winning streak to 4. The Cats got on the board first with 2 runs in the top of the first inning off defending 2a Player of the Year Brock Fearday. Ryan Detering drove in 2 of his 3 runs in the opening inning as he went 4-6 at the plate. St Anthony would scratch across a run in the 4th to make it 2-1 Wildcats. KC signee Brady Hatton then hit a long home run to left off starter Noah Nix to tie the game at 2. Both teams had chances in the 11th. Salem got a leadoff double from Noah Nix but he was stranded on the base paths. Then St Anthony got a leadoff double themselves by Hatton but he couldn’t score either setting up the heroics for Salem. Jalen Inlow would walk with one out and after Keyton Grawe was hit by a pitch, Rhett Detering grounded into a fielder’s choice at 2nd base that scored the go ahead run. Then Ryan Detering doubled scoring Rhett. Hatton finished 4-6 for St Anthony.
On the mound, the pitching on both sides were great. Salem starter Nix went 6 innings allowing just 2 runs on 6 hits with 8 strikeouts. Rhett Detering then worked the other six innings allowing 2 hits and struck out 9. They combined for 17 strikeouts to just 3 walks and only 8 hits allowed in 12 innings.
Fearday was the starter for St Anthony going 4 innings allowing 5 hits and 1 earned run. Hatton and Tegeler worked the final 8 innings. Bulldogs pitchers struck out 15 Salem hitters. Salem added a home game today against Effingham High School.
Colton Smith doubled to open up the bottom of the 10th inning and Zane Montez would come up with the walk-off single to lead South Central to a 7-6 comeback win over the Altamont Indians. The Cougars trailed 4-0 in the fifth inning but then scored 3 to make it 4-3. After Altamont extended their lead to 6-3 in the sixth, SC would answer back with 2 more runs and then would tie it in the 7th before winning it in 10. Trevan Sidwell, Maddox Robb and Montez had 2 RBI each. Chase Guerrettaz added hits and an RBI. Callaway Smith had 2 hits along with Luke Shumate. Callaway was the starter going 3.1 innings with Sidwell working the next 6 and then Montes getting the win with his 2/3 of an inning.
Mt Vernon snapped their 6-game losing skid to start the season with a 10-0 win over Benton in five innings. Nolan Mast, Ty Pierce and Bronx Hefner drove in 2 runs each. Diedrich Smith had 3 hits and 3 runs scored. Cale Maurer and Eli Prost added RBI and Tyler Curry scored twice. Smith worked the complete game shutout with 5 hits allowed and 7 strikeouts.
The Centralia Orphans open up South Seven play today on the road at Carbondale.
Odin/Patoka/Sandoval baseball is at home against CHBC.
