Normal Community wasted no time taking control and never looked back, cruising to a dominant 10-0 win over Centennial.

The Ironmen got the offense going early in the third inning, capitalizing on mistakes and timely hitting. Gavin Swartz reached on an error that brought in two runs, and Max Heineman followed with an RBI single to extend the lead. Lucas Beaty kept things rolling with an RBI knock later in the inning as Normal Community built a comfortable cushion.

In the fourth, the Ironmen poured it on. Heineman added another RBI single, while Beckett Weber worked a walk that helped spark a heads-up sequence on the bases, leading to another run crossing the plate. Swartz delivered one of the biggest swings of the day, lining a single to center that brought in two runs and turned into extra bases after an error, pushing the lead even further out of reach.

Normal Community capped the scoring in the fifth when Owen Knox lifted a sacrifice fly to center, plating another run and sealing the run-rule victory.

From start to finish, the Ironmen controlled the game on both sides, using aggressive baserunning, clutch hitting, and capitalizing on Centennial miscues to secure the shutout win.

Top Performers:

• Gavin Swartz: RBI single, reached on error (2 RBIs)
• Max Heineman: 2 RBI singles
• Lucas Beaty: RBI single
• Owen Knox: Sacrifice fly RBI

Maroa-Forsyth came out hot, but Springfield flipped the game quickly and never gave control back in a 13-6 win.

The Trojans wasted no time jumping ahead in the first inning. RBI singles from Gunnar Larner and Callan Rykhus helped Maroa-Forsyth build an early 3-0 lead, putting immediate pressure on Springfield.

That lead didn’t last long.

Springfield answered in the bottom half of the first with a big response, highlighted by a two-run single from Snyder and aggressive baserunning that helped tie the game at 3-3 and quickly push ahead 4-3.

From there, the Senators’ offense kept rolling. In the third inning, RBI singles from Snyder and Marks extended the lead, and the fourth inning saw Springfield take full control capitalizing on defensive miscues and another RBI knock from Jenkins to make it 9-3.

Maroa-Forsyth showed some life in the fifth when Coby Lane ripped an RBI triple to cut into the deficit, but Springfield responded again in the bottom half. A triple from Davison and RBI singles from Watts and Jenkins pushed the lead to 12-4.

Springfield added another highlight in the sixth when J. Scheffler launched a solo home run to right, extending the lead to 13-4.

The Trojans were able to scratch across a couple late runs in the seventh, including a run scored on a fielder’s choice by Cooper Wise and a bases-loaded walk, but the deficit proved too much to overcome.

Top Players:

Springfield

• Snyder: Multiple hits, 3+ RBI
• Jenkins: 2 H, multiple RBI
• Watts: RBI hits in key moments
• Davison: Triple, run scored
• J. Scheffler: Solo home run

Maroa-Forsyth

• Callan Rykhus: 2 RBI single
• Gunnar Larner: RBI, reached multiple times
• Coby Lane: RBI triple
• Cooper Wise: RBI (fielder’s choice)

Monticello came out swinging and never looked back, putting together a dominant 10-0 win over Salt Fork behind a big early offensive surge and strong pitching.

The Sages wasted no time setting the tone in the first inning. After Dawson Gaitros crossed the plate on a Cole Basak single, Monticello kept the pressure on with timely hitting and aggressive baserunning. Jake Motsegood and Heyden Romano each delivered RBI singles, helping the Sages jump out to a quick 4-0 lead.

The offense stayed hot in the second inning, where Monticello broke things open. Basak ripped a double to drive in another run, followed by an RBI single from Koyie Williams and a two-run double from Motsegood to stretch the lead to 7-0.

Monticello continued to capitalize on opportunities in the fourth, adding two more runs thanks to a Salt Fork error and a fielder’s choice that brought in another score. In the fifth, Zeke Young capped off the performance with an RBI single to make it 10-0.

On the mound, Jax Bailey was in control, tossing four shutout innings while allowing just one hit and striking out three. The defense backed him up all game, keeping Salt Fork from generating any offensive momentum.

Salt Fork struggled to get anything going offensively, managing just one hit in the game.

Top Players:

Monticello

• Cole Basak: 2 H, 3 RBI, multiple extra-base hits
• Jake Motsegood: 2 H, 2 RBI, double
• Zeke Young: 2 H, RBI
• Koyie Williams: 2 H, RBI
• Jax Bailey: 4 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 3 K

Clinton built up just enough cushion to survive a late push from Bloomington Central Catholic, taking a 10-8 win in a game full of momentum swings.

Bloomington Central Catholic came out hot in the top of the 1st, getting on the board early with an RBI double from Crayton Schnierle and an RBI single from Colin Eickhorst to jump ahead 2-0. They kept applying pressure into the 4th, tying the game at 3 before Carter Landrus delivered a two-run single to give the Saints a 5-3 lead.

Clinton answered quickly and never let the game slip away. In the bottom of the 4th, Stone Stith and Josh Bass each drove in runs, with chaos on the bases and an error helping the Maroons take a 6-5 lead.

The momentum continued in the 5th when Ryan Pine crushed a two-run home run to extend the lead to 8-5. Clinton added more insurance in the 6th, highlighted by a Bass RBI double and another run scoring on a groundout to push it to 10-5.

Bloomington Central Catholic made things interesting in the 7th. A clutch bases-clearing double brought them within two at 10-8, but Clinton held firm to close it out.

Clinton’s offense was steady throughout, tallying 10 hits and capitalizing on key moments, while Bloomington Central Catholic matched with 9 hits of their own in the back-and-forth battle.

Top Performers

Clinton Varsity Maroons:

• Ryan Pine: 2-3, HR, 2 RBI, 2 R
• Josh Bass: 3-4, 2 RBI, 2B
• Mitchell Cornwell: 2-3, RBI, 2 R
• Jack Manning: 2 R

Bloomington Central Catholic Varsity Saints:

• Carter Landrus: 2-5, 2 RBI
• Conner Rave: 2-3, 2 R
• Colin Eickhorst: 1-3, RBI, R
• Lucas Smeltzer: 1-2, RBI, R

The Mt. Pulaski Hilltoppers delivered an unforgettable comeback, rallying past Heyworth for a thrilling 11-9 victory.

Mt. Pulaski wasted no time getting on the board in the bottom of the first inning. Behind timely hitting from Jaeden Jackson and Tyler Cross, the Hilltoppers jumped out to an early 2-1 lead. Jackson drove in a run with a sharp single, while Cross added another RBI knock to give Mt. Pulaski early momentum.

However, Heyworth quickly flipped the script in the middle innings. A big second inning and continued pressure at the plate allowed Heyworth to surge ahead, capitalizing on extra-base hits and defensive miscues. By the time the fifth inning came to a close, the Hilltoppers found themselves trailing 9-4 and searching for answers.

That’s when the game — and momentum — came to a halt.

The Hilltoppers were able to manage 6 Runs in the 5th Inning due to timely hitting and aggressive base running. A rain delay between the fifth and sixth innings paused play and gave Mt. Pulaski a chance to regroup. What followed was a completely different team taking the field.

Coming out of the delay, the Hilltoppers ignited.

In the bottom of the sixth inning, Mt. Pulaski exploded for a massive rally that completely changed the game. Key hits from Caden Wyler, Jaeden Jackson, and Luke Martin sparked the surge, while aggressive baserunning and defensive pressure forced Heyworth into critical mistakes. The Hilltoppers plated multiple runs in the inning, quickly erasing the deficit and taking a stunning 11-9 lead.

Wyler delivered one of the biggest moments of the night with a clutch RBI hit, while Jackson continued his strong performance at the plate. Martin added to the offensive push, finishing with multiple hits and contributing both on the mound and at the plate.

On the pitching side, Mt. Pulaski showed resilience after a tough start. Luke Martin opened the game before Preston Cowan came in to settle things down and earn the win. Cowan provided key innings in relief, limiting Heyworth’s offense long enough for the Hilltoppers’ bats to come alive. Carter Clark also contributed out of the bullpen, helping close the door late.

Offensively, Mt. Pulaski tallied 11 runs on 8 hits, with contributions spread throughout the lineup. Jackson led the charge with multiple hits and RBIs, while Cowan, Martin, Wyler, and Cross all played key roles in the comeback effort.

With the win, Mt. Pulaski improves to 9-5. They will take on the Illini Bluffs Tigers in Glasford on Thursday. 

Heyworth falls to 5-8-1 and plays host to Lexington on Wednesday. 
 

In a game heard on WEZC and online at dewittdailynews.com, Thea Key's leadoff home run was all Madison Highland needed as she went the distance in circle, leading Monticello to a 6-0 win over Westville in non-conference high school softball action on Tuesday in Monticello.

Key blasted a home run to left field in the bottom of the first inning. 

Highland took from there. The junior struck out four and permitted five hits to zero walks over seven shutout frames.

Key reached base via walks in her next three plate appearances. Cassidee Stoffel was 2-for-3 with an RBI double. Highland, Sadie Walsh, and Ali Weidner added RBI hits in a four-run fifth inning that broke the game open for Monticello.

Highland was the State Bank of Bement player of the game.

Monticello visits Bloomington Central Catholic on Thursday.

The Monticello Lady Sages rallied in the 10th inning to beat the Pontiac Indians 5-4 in Illini Prairie Conference softball action on Monday afternoon in Monticello. 

After three scoreless innings, Payton Rogers doubled in the top of the fourth for the Indians, which scored India Mattingly. Izzy Hinz then connected on a two-out double to bring home Rogers and make it 2-0. 

Monticello scored two of their own, highlighted by an Ali Weidner single that scored Isabella Beery to even the score in the bottom of the sixth. 

Both teams tacked on two more runs to tie the game at 4-4 and send it to extra innings in the seventh. After a scoreless eighth and ninth, Reese Stiger walked and stole second and was brought home by a line drive from Annie Robinson for the win. 

Beery led the Sages offensively, going 1-for-3 with a run scored and two RBIs. Meadow Miller was 2-for-3, and Sadie Walsh was 2-for-5 with a run scored.

Cassidee Stoffel twirled seven innings and struck out three. She allowed eight hits and four runs. Madison Highland pitched two shutout innings of relief to earn the save, striking out three and allowing three hits. 

Alexis Lenger was 2-for-6 with a run scored for Pontiac. Courtney Krause was 3-for-5 and came home once. Rogers finished 3-for-4 on the day with a run scored and two RBIs. 

With the win, Monticello improves to 15-5 while Pontiac falls to 8-7. 

The Lady Sages are at home on Tuesday when they host Westville.