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High school baseball

Lincoln varsity baseball vs. Jacksonville

[APRIL 27, 2001]  Perhaps one characteristic that makes any kind of game a "good" game is its unpredictability. I mean, if you always knew in advance you were going to win (or lose), it just wouldn’t be a "good" game. If this principle is true, then baseball is an unbelievably "great" game. When one team can beat another 11-1 and two days later get beaten by that same team 14-2, that’s unpredictability. But that’s precisely what happened with Lincoln and Jacksonville. Tuesday’s 11-1 Railer win transformed into a Thursday 14-2 Jacksonville blowout.

Other factors made it even more unpredictable: Lincoln started its ace, Chris Phillips, and Jacksonville hadn’t won a conference game all season. Nonetheless, going into the last inning, Jacksonville held a slim 3-2 lead. I know—I said the final score was 14-2. A little math here: 14 – 3 = 11. That’s right: Jacksonville scored 11 runs in the seventh inning. In fact, all 11 runs crossed the plate, and there was still just one out. Would this ever end? By the time the game was over, six different Railers had accumulated 10 errors. It wasn’t pretty.

Even the bats weren’t doing much. Lincoln had only four hits (Andy Knopp, Justin Dedman [2B], Phillips [RBI 2B] and Andrew Bartman). Even so, until the Jacksonville seventh, the Railers, who have come from behind consistently this year, still had the game in reach. Trailing 4-2 in the bottom of the sixth, Dedman started by legging out a double to right center. Derek Schrader then beat out a ground ball that the third baseman threw wide of first. Phillips laid down a sacrifice bunt to put Dedman and Schrader, the tying run, in scoring position. However, the next two Lincoln hitters struck out and left them stranded. Then the seventh-inning circus began.

[to top of second column in this article]

[Chris Phillips on the mound in the seventh inning with Andrew Bartman catching.]

[Michael Martin batting with Justin Dedman at third.]

Phillips was still on the mound for the Railers. Quite uncharacteristically, he struck out (only) five, walked five and hit four batters. Obviously, coach Pat Hake didn’t think it was all Phillips, as he had several "chats" with the plate umpire about no-strike calls. Phillips gave up two hits and three walks to eight Jacksonville hitters in the seventh before Jamison Sheley relieved him. Sheley walked two and surrendered two hits when Ryan Williams was called on. Williams struck out his first batter (for the second out), but the next batter pulled a two-RBI single down the third-base line. The inning closed with what some thought was an umpire mercy call against a Jacksonville base runner trying to steal second.

In Jacksonville’s seventh, the leadoff hitter scored, and beginning with the third hitter of the inning, 10 batters in a row ended up scoring. Even the come-from-behind Railers could predictably not dig themselves out of this hole.

Jacksonville’s Zack Reed took the complete-game pitching win, and Phillips went to 5-2 on the year. Lincoln is now 4-4 in the conference. Saturday, the Railers travel to Morton for a non-conference doubleheader.

[Rich Knopp]

[Box score and stats vs. Jacksonville]

Area high school baseball games

[APRIL 27, 2001] 

Illini Central traveled to Mackinaw yesterday for a game against Dee-Mack’s baseball team and left as victors, 9-0.

Matt Harris pitched the entire game for Illini Central. Luke Bohm was the catcher for the Cougars.

Josh McDaniel made four hits and batted in two runners. Bryce Cunningham made three hits and batted in one runner. Jon Harfst made three hits, and Matt Harris made two hits.

Andy Whitlatch pitched for Dee-Mack, with Adam Mitchell replacing him in the sixth inning. Zach Zehr was Dee-Mack’s catcher.

Illini Central’s record is now 12-7, and Dee-Mack’s is 11-9.

Score by innings

Illini Central     320 040 0 – 9-15-2

Dee-Mack      000 000 0 – 0-2-0

The high school baseball teams from Pleasant Plains and Mount Pulaski met in Mount Pulaski yesterday afternoon. The game was close, but Pleasant Plains won 12-10.

Korey Davis pitched for the Hilltoppers, and Cam McClellan was the catcher.

Craig Erlenbush batted in two runners for Mount Pulaski.

Mount Pulaski’s baseball record is 7-10, and Pleasant Plains’ record is 18-4.

Score by innings

Mount Pulaski     205 012 0 – 10-9-2

Pleasant Plains    103 303 2 – 12-15-6

[to top of second column in this section]

Lexington visited Stanford yesterday afternoon for a baseball game against Olympia’s high school team. Olympia blew them away 12-5.

Cam Cheek was Oly’s pitcher. This is his fourth winning game of six he has pitched for the Spartans. Ryne Sherman relieved Cheek in the seventh inning. Rush Olson was the team’s catcher.

Jeff Darnall boosted his team with three hits, a double, and he batted in four runners. Ben Lee also made three hits, a triple and batted in one runner. Brandon Gale made two hits and brought in a runner. Steve Raleigh made a double and batted in two runners. Chris Frank made three hits for the Spartans.

Tony Eckhart pitched his first game for Lexington. Nathan Barnard took over in the sixth inning. Adam Miller was the team’s catcher.

Olympia is now 21-2, and Lexington is 14-7.

Score by innings

Olympia     301 053 x – 12-14-3

Lexington   000 300 2 – 5-8-4

[LDN]

High school softball

[APRIL 27, 2001] 

Hartem invited Warrensburg-Latham to Hartsburg for a softball game yesterday afternoon. The final score went to Warrensburg, 10-2.

Jenni Tuttle pitched for the Hartem Stags. Nikki Chapman relieved her in the seventh inning. Leann Alberts was the catcher.

Emily Alsup pitched for Warrensburg, and Amy McBride was the catcher.

Hartem’s softball record is now 5-12. Warrensburg-Latham is 12-5.

Score by innings

Hartsburg-Emden        002 000 0 – 2-1-4

Warrensburg-Latham   001 035 1 – 10-11-2

Illini Central vs. Peoria Christian

Peoria Christian beat Illini Central’s softball team in Mason City yesterday afternoon 11-3.

Brooke Oney pitched for Illini Central, and Katie Meikle was the team’s catcher.

Kim Bauman made one hit and batted in two runners for the Lady Cougars.

Diekevers was the team’s pitcher, and Walker was the catcher.

Illini Central’s softball team is 2-12 overall.

Score by innings

Illini Central          002 000 1 – 3-5-2

Peoria Christian    220 313 0 – 11-4-4

[to top of second column in this section]

Springfield’s softball team came to Lincoln yesterday afternoon for a game. Springfield won the game by one point, 4-3.

Hilary Schweitzer pitched for Lincoln, and Emily Wilkinson was Lincoln’s catcher.

Emily Wilkinson made three hits and a triple. Bethany Gleason made two hits, a triple, and she batted in a runner.

Radliff pitched for Springfield, and Cunningham was her catcher.

Lincoln’s new record is 6-13 overall and 3-5 in the Central State Eight Conference.

Score by innings

Lincoln            000 110 1 – 3-9-3

Springfield       002 020 0 – 4-5-1

Olympia vs. Central Catholic

Central Catholic welcomed Olympia’s softball team to Bloomington yesterday afternoon. The game was called due to the 10-run rule. Olympia won 10-0.

Jessie Shay pitched her 13^th winning game of 15 that she has pitched for Oly (five innings, one hit, no runs, four strikeouts, one walk). Alicia Flessner was the catcher.

Tiffany Prager hit a double and batted in a runner. Tricia Gaither made three hits and batted in a runner. Erin Canopy batted in two runners. Nicole Prager, Liz Sunday, Mindy Bachman and Katie Fraher each batted in a runner.

Kendall Schaibley pitched for Central Catholic, and Meghan Mikel replaced her in the fourth inning. Katie Reeter was the team’s catcher.

Score by innings

Olympia               315 10 –10-11-0

Central Catholic    000 00 – 0-1-6

[LDN]

High school track and field

Five-team invitational at Manito

[APRIL 27, 2001]  Five girls and boys track-and-field teams gathered in Manito for a Tomahawk Conference meet yesterday afternoon.

Girls

Illini Central won the meet with 106 points. Illini Bluffs was second with 80 points. Midwest Central came in third with 75 points. Delavan made 61 points for fourth place. Mount Pulaski came in last with 40 points.

The results of the individual events in which Illini Central or Mount Pulaski placed were as follows:

100 meters – 1^st place: McDonald of Illini Central, 13.7

200 meters – 1^st place: Harvey of Illini Central, 27.9

400 meters – 3^rd place: Daum of Illini Central, 1:09.2; 5^th place: Walter of Illini Central, 1:11.6

800 meters – 2^nd place: Hankins of Illini Central, 2:52.0; 5^th place: Hernan of Illini Central, 3:09.0

1,600 meters – 4^th place: McKenna of Illini Central, 6:35.4

3,200 meters – 3^rd place: McKenna of Illini Central, 14:21

100 hurdles – 2^nd place: Dobbors of Illini Central, time not known; 3^rd place: Matlock of Illini Central, 21.6

300 hurdles – 2^nd place: Eden of Illini Central, 59.0; 3^rd place: Mortlock of Illini Central, 1:00.4

Long jump – 3^rd place: McDonald of Illini Central, 15-5; 4^th place: Cave of Illini Central, 14-5; 5^th place: Maske of Mount Pulaski, distance not known

High jump – 1^st place: Hankins of Illini Central, 3-8

Triple jump – 1^st place: Harvey of Illini Central, 32-7 a meet record; 3^rd place: McLaughlin of Illini Central, 29-5½

Shot put – 2^nd place: Ruckls of Mount Pulaski, distance not known; 3^rd place: Sanders of Mount Pulaski, distance not known

Discus – 1^st place: Sanders of Mount Pulaski, 93-7¾

400 relay – 1^st place: Illini Central, 54.1; 3^rd place: Mount Pulaski, time not known

800 relay – 1^st place: Illini Central, 1:53.7 a meet record; 3^rd place: Mount Pulaski, time not known

800 medley – 1^st place: Mount Pulaski, 2:06.4; 4^th place: Illini Central, 2:14.5

1,600 relay – 1^st place: Illini Central, 4:35.3

3,200 relay – 2^nd place: Illini Central, 11:55.9

[to top of second column in this report]

Boys

Midwest Central won the meet with 158.2 points. Illini Central was second with 80 points. Delavan came in third with 42 points. Mount Pulaski made 41 points for fourth place. Illini Bluffs came in last with 22 points.

The results of the individual events in which Illini Central or Mount Pulaski placed were as follows:

100 meters – 4^th place: Hankins of Illini Central, 12.4; 5^th place: Waymire of Mount Pulaski, 12.4

200 meters – 3^rd place: Loers of Mount Pulaski, 24.8; 4^th place: Waymire of Mount Pulaski, 25.7; 5^th place: Barton of Illini Central, 25.8

400 meters – 1^st place: Waymire of Mount Pulaski, 53.5; 5^th place: Burton of Illini Central, 56.9

800 meters – 2^nd place: Grimsley of Illini Central, 2:08.2; 3^rd place: Waymire of Mount Pulaski, 2:04.2; 5^th place: Schulze of Illini Central, 2:19.3

1,600 meters – 2^nd place: Grimsley of Illini Central, 4:59.1; 3^rd place: Waymire of Mount Pulaski, 4:59.5; 5^th place: Hernan of Illini Central, 5:31.1

3,200 meters – 2^nd place: Hernan of Illini Central, 11:26; 4^th place: McDaniel of Illini Central, 11:48

100 hurdles – 2^nd place: VanEtten of Illini Central, 18.3; 4^th place: Benschaff of Illini Central, 21.1

300 hurdles – 2^nd place: VanEtten of Illini Central, 43.5; 5^th place: Benschaff of Illini Central, 52.9

Long jump – 2^nd place: Hankins of Illini Central, 18-4; 4^th place: Loers of Mount Pulaski, 17-3; 4^th place: Waymire of Mount Pulaski 17-2½

High jump – 2^nd place: Waymire of Mount Pulaski, 5-8; 3^rd place: Wells of Illini Central, 5-8

Triple jump – 3^rd place: Barton of Illini Central, 35-6

Shot put – 4^th place: Allen of Illini Central, 40-11; 5^th place: Brooks of Mount Pulaski, 40-4

Discus – 4^th place: Brooks of Mount Pulaski, 129-8; 5^th place: Allen of Illini Central, 118-5

400 relay – 2^nd place: Illini Central, 49.4; 4^th place: Mount Pulaski, time unavailable

800 relay – 3^rd place: Illini Central, 1:51.1

1,600 relay – 2^nd place: Illini Central, 4:03.0

3,200 relay – 2^nd place: Illini Central, 10:18

[LDN]

College baseball

Lincoln College vs. Spoon River

[APRIL 27, 2001]  Spoon River visited Lincoln yesterday afternoon for a doubleheader against Lincoln College. Lincoln beat Spoon River in both games.

Game 1

Cave pitched the first game for Lincoln. Deakin replaced Cave in the sixth inning, and Knepper replaced Deakin in the seventh inning. Robert Sherren was Lincoln’s catcher.

Ahmad Richie made two hits of the three times he went to bat. He also made one run and batted a runner in.

McGrew pitched for Spoon River, and Shelby was the team’s catcher.

Score by innings

Lincoln            003 010 x – 4-7-2

Spoon River    020 001 0 – 3-7-3

[to top of second column in this article]

Game 2

King pitched the second game for the Lynx. Richard Sherren replaced him in the fifth ining. Skelton was the team’s catcher.

Lynx player Brad Bone made three of four hits, three runs, and batted in one runner. Ahmad Richie again batted two of three hits, one of which was a double, and he made three runs. Charlie Huelett made two hits of the four times he went to bat and made one run.

Keener pitched for Spoon River in the second game, and Powell replaced him in the third inning. Shelby was again the team’s catcher.

Score by innings

Lincoln            524 001 x – 12-13-1

Spoon River    200 001 0 – 3-6-4

Lincoln College’s new baseball record is 18-25. The last time Lincoln won 18 games was in 1991, when Kevin Hartsell was coaching. This is the most wins in a season for eight-year coach Tony Thomas.

[LDN]

High school baseball

[APRIL 26, 2001] 

Mahomet-Seymour traveled to Stanford yesterday afternoon for a quick baseball game against Olympia. When the five-inning game ended, Olympia was the winner, 12-2.

Ryan Kendrick pitched his third game and third win for Olympia. Lance Leesman relieved him in the last inning. Rush Olson was the team’s catcher.

Jeff Darnall made two hits and batted in three runners for Oly.

Cole Jones pitched for Mahomet-Seymour, and Brad Gonzales took over in the last inning. Kyle Reed was the team’s catcher.

Olympia’s baseball record is 20 wins to only five losses; they are 5-0 in the Corn Belt Conference. Mahomet-Seymour’s record is 7-14-1, and 1-3 in the Corn Belt Conference.

Score by innings

Olympia 101 37 – 12-13-4

Mahomet-Seymour 000 02 – 2-6-2

[LDN]

High school track and field

[APRIL 26, 2001]  

Lincoln vs. Springfield

Springfield’s girls track team visited Lincoln yesterday afternoon for a track-and-field meet. The final score was 77-60, Lincoln.

The events in which Lincoln placed first were as follows:

100 meters – Dominique Dawson, 12.5

200 meters – Dominique Dawson, 27.2

400 meters – Angela Maestas, 1:08

800 meters – Brittney Dellow, 2:51.8

Long jump – Dominique Dawson, 17-1

High jump – Amy Humbert, 4-10

Shot put – Mallory Coons, 36-2½

Discus – Becca Hahn, 101-3

400 relay – Lincoln, 53.0

1,600 relay – Lincoln, 4:30.5

3,200 relay – Lincoln, 12:33.3

800 medley relay – Lincoln, 2:00

High school baseball

[APRIL 25, 2001] 

The Hartem Stags took a beating at their home plate, with Tri-Valley winning 13-4.

Score by innings

Hartsburg-Emden    000 202 0 – 4-5-3

Tri-Valley                210 114 4 – 13-15-1

Matt Chapman (4-5) and Blane Fletcher (6) pitched for Hartem, with Matt Gleason catching. Mike Herald and Tanner Springer were up front for Tri-Valley.

Gleason had a home run with one on in the fourth.

Tri-Valley is 14-5 and Hartsburg-Emden is 9-10 for the season.

The Spartans love staying home. They outscored Prairie Central every inning, not bothering with the bottom of the seventh and winning 11-2.

Score by innings

Prairie Central      200 000 0 – 2-5-4

Olympia               313 121 x – 11-12-1

Brandon Gale (W, 6-0) and Ryne Sherman (7) pitched for Olympia. Rush Olson was catcher.

The Spartans hit two home runs, one by Jeff Darnall (two on in the first) and the other by Chris Frank (one on in the fifth).

Outstanding hitters for the game were Darnall (two hits, three RBIs), Ryan Kendrick (three hits, a double, and an RBI) and Gale (two hits and a double).

Olympia is 19-2 overall, 4-0 in the Corn Belt Conference. Prairie Central is 15-6-1, and 1-1-1 in the Corn Belt.

[LDN]

High school softball

[APRIL 25, 2001] 

In softball played at Brimfield, the Lady Stags took the game with the last run brought in at the top of the sixth inning, 4-3.

Score by innings

Hartsburg-Emden     002 011 0 – 4- 4-3

Brimfield                  102 000 0 – 3-10-4

Nicki Chapman, Jenni Tuttle (S, 2) and Leann Alberts were pitching and catching for Hartem, Miller and Durra for Brimfield.

Hartsburg-Emden is 5-11; Brimfield, 7-8.

Illini Central vs. Athens

With no need to play the bottom of the seventh, Athens swept Illini Central 14-6.

Score by innings

Illini Central       310 200 0 – 6-5-7

Athens               622 103 x – 14-6-2

Pitching for the Cougars was Brooke Oney, and Katie Mielke was catcher; for Athens were Chestnut and Polle.

Hitting star for the game was Oney, with two hits and one RBI for Illini Central.

Illini Central is 2-11 overall.

[to top of second column in this article]

Lincoln vs. Southeast

In an away game at Springfield, Lincoln bettered Southeast by one run, 3-2. The winning run came at the top of the seventh.

Score by innings

Lincoln         000 002 001 – 3-6-4

Southeast      001 010 000 – 2-7-3

Hilary Schweitzer (5-7) and Emily Wilkinson were pitcher and catcher for Lincoln, with Prino, Mueller (4), and Willey playing for Springfield.

Kelsey Walsham had two hits and two RBIs for the Lady Railers.

Schweitzer was recognized for her pitching, with one earned run, four strikeouts and two walks.

Lincoln is 6-12 overall, 3-4 in the Central State Eight.

[LDN]

High school track and field

Mount Pulaski competes in meet at Clinton

[APRIL 25, 2001]  In track and field for high school boys, the results of a meet at Clinton were as follows: Monticello 208, Sullivan 130, Clinton 103, Mount Pulaski 41, Lexington 36, Blue Ridge 27.

Mount Pulaski winners

800 meters — Waymire, 2:06.1

High jump — Winkler, 5-8

College baseball

Lincoln College vs. Springfield College
[APRIL 25, 2001]  Great pitching performances were the highlight of the day for coach Tony Thomas as his Lincoln College Lynx shut out Springfield College in Springfield twice Tuesday afternoon. Lincoln won the first game 1-0 behind Jaren McLane and Rick Sherren and took the nightcap 6-0 behind the complete game performance of Kyle Eastman.   The double victory raises the Lynx record to 16-25 for the season. Lincoln has a makeup game in East Peoria Wednesday against Illinois Central College.

Lincoln scored its lone run in the sixth inning of the first game when Chris Ackman led off with a double and came around to score on a single by Chad Blackburn. The sixth-inning run made a winner of Jaren McLane, who worked the first five innings, allowing just one hit. McLane walked six batters and fanned two. Rick Sherren came on in relief in the sixth and struck out three batters while giving up no hits.

The Lynx jumped on SCI with four runs in the first inning of the second game, and Kyle Eastman made it stand up. Eastman permitted just three hits, walked two and struck out nine in going the distance. Lincoln was aided by consecutive errors to start the top half of the first inning. With the two runners on base, Brad Bone hit into a force play, driving in the first run. Gary Ryan followed with a double to drive in a run, and after Chad Blackburn was hit by a pitch, Jake VanDyke singled in another run. The final run of the frame crossed the plate when Robert Sherren hit into a fielder’s choice.

Ahmad Richie, Chris Ackman and Brad Bone all had two hits for the Lynx in the second game, while Matt Carnahan collected a pair of hits to lead the first-game attack.

[to top of second column in this article]

First game

Lincoln College        000 001 0 – 1 - 6 - 1

Springfield College   000 000 0 – 0 - 1 - 3

McLane (W), Ri. Sherren (6) & Ro. Sherren; Gobble (L) & Frawley.

Lincoln College         410 100 0 – 6 - 8 - 0

Springfield College    000 000 0 – 0 - 3 - 2

Eastman (W) & Ro. Sherren; Ruyle (L) & Mulvey.

[Bill Martinie,
Lincoln College sports information director]

High school baseball

LCHS frosh baseball vs. Glenwood

[APRIL 24, 2001]  Glenwood High School hit the Lincoln High School freshman baseball team with a 10-spot in the fourth inning as they rolled to a 12-0, five-inning victory at Lincoln Monday afternoon. The loss drops the Railer freshman record to 4-5 for the season.

Trent Kavelman had Lincoln's lone hit, a double in the second inning. Kavelman was the starting and losing pitcher with Bobby Ward working the final inning. Glenwood scored its 10 runs in the fourth on seven hits and three errors.

Score by innings

Glenwood           010 (10)1  – 12 - 9 - 0

Lincoln                000    0 0  –   0 - 1 - 8

Ruppert (W) & List;  Kavelman (L), Ward (5) & Melton.

[Bill Martinie]

Area high school baseball games

[APRIL 24, 2001]  

Hartem’s baseball team welcomed Havana to Hartsburg yesterday afternoon and sent them packing, 10-3.

Ryan Anderson pitched his sixth game for Hartem (three runs, two walks and six strikeouts). Blane Fletcher pitched the last inning for Anderson. Matt Gleason was the team’s catcher.

Stags player Matt Gleason earned half the team’s points. In the first inning, Gleason hit a home run with two men on base. In the second inning, Gleason hit a home run with one man on base.

Dennis Carr pitched for Havana, and Jamie Holmes was the catcher.

Hartsburg-Emden’s new baseball record is 9-9.

Score by innings

Hartem      430 102 x – 10-14-0

Havana     101 100 0 – 3-9-0

Illini Central and Midwest Central met in Mason City yesterday afternoon for a high school baseball game. Midwest won 9-2.

Matt Harris was IC’s pitcher. Josh McDaniel also pitched for the team. Luke Bohm was the team’s catcher.

Doty pitched for Midwest, and Roberts was the catcher.

Score by innings

Illini Central          000 020 0 – 2-3-2

Midwest Central   000 342 0 – 9-13-2

[to top of second column in this article]

Olympia visited Pontiac yesterday long enough to beat their high school baseball team and return home. The final score was 12-4.

Chris Frank pitched his third game and third win for Olympia. Jeff Darnall replaced Frank in the third inning, Lance Leesman replaced Darnall in the sixth inning, and Cam Cheek replaced Leesman in the seventh inning. Rush Olson was Oly’s catcher for the first six innings, and Steve Raleigh relieved him in the final inning.

Chris Frank and Brandon Gale each hit a home run. Frank’s home run was in the fourth inning, with two players on base. Gale’s home run was in the sixth with a player on base. Besides his home run, Gale made two other hits during the game. Steve Raleigh made two hits for his team and batted in two runners.

Bobby Arbogast pitched for Pontiac. John Lambert relieved him in the sixth inning. The seventh inning was split between Pontiac pitchers Brad Gregory and Frank Arnolts.

Olympia has 18 wins and only two losses. In the Corn Belt Conference, they are 3-0. Pontiac’s record is 5-10-1, and 1-1-1 in their conference.

Score by innings

Olympia     200 305 2 – 12-9-3

Pontiac       010 000 3 – 4-3-5

[LDN]

High school softball

[APRIL 24, 2001] 

Lincoln and Morton competed in a high school softball game in Lincoln yesterday afternoon. Morton won 6-0.

Borowick was Lincoln’s pitcher, and Wilkinson was the catcher.

Reinwald made two hits for her team.

Sammi Whitcomb pitched her seventh game for Morton, with Katie Collins replacing her in the fifth inning. Erin Collins was the team’s catcher.

Score by innings

Lincoln     000 000 0 – 0-2-4

Morton     000 600 0 – 6-8-0

[LDN]

High school baseball

Tournament report

Lincoln varsity baseball vs. Kankakee,
Midwest Central and Edwardsville

[APRIL 23, 2001]  The Lincoln Railers made a solid showing at their own tournament over the weekend, taking two of three games and coming away with a 14-5 season record. They held on to a 5-4 win over Kankakee on Friday; outlasted Midwest Central 9-6 Saturday morning; but got a good old fashioned spankin’ by Edwardsville on Saturday afternoon, losing 15-1.

In Friday’s first game, coach Pat Hake’s ball club faced his former players from Kankakee, where he had coached for six years before coming to Lincoln. It was undoubtedly an important game for Hake, since Chris Phillips, the Lincoln pitching ace, got the start. Phillips pitched the complete game, striking out 11 and walking only two. He surrendered seven hits, two of which (along with his two walks) came in the seventh inning. As a result, Kankakee’s two-run seventh inning put them within one run of Lincoln, and they had runners at first and third when the game ended with a fly out to right field.

Lincoln’s first four hitters (Derek Schrader, Justin Dedman, Andy Knopp and Chris Phillips) had hits, with Schrader’s being a third-inning leadoff homer. The offensive story of the game, however, was senior catcher Andrew Bartman. Bartman had an RBI double with two out in the second inning and a two-out, two-RBI single in the sixth that scored Nick Bay and Michael Martin, who were pinch running for Andy Knopp and Phillips, who led off the inning with singles. At the time, Lincoln’s lead was just 2-1. As it turned out, Bartman’s two-RBI single allowed the Railers to take the game 4-3.

In the second game, Justin Dedman got the start against Midwest Central but found the going a little rough. He went 2 1/3 innings and allowed five runs (four earned), striking out two, walking three, hitting two and allowing five hits, including a home run. Junior left-hander Michael Martin, who relieved Dedman with Lincoln down 5-4, went the rest of the way and picked up the win—his first of the season. Martin gave up just one run (earned), four hits, one walk, and struck out five.

Fortunately, the Railers scored in every inning but the sixth. Lincoln’s nine runs and eight hits were paced by two hits from Aaron Matson (RBI), a triple by Martin, a double by Knopp (two RBIs), and a season-first home run by Danny Schick (two RBIs) that broke a 5-5 tie in the fourth inning. Two important runs came in the fifth when Matt Aper singled, stole second and was pushed to third by a right-side ground-out by Matson. Blake Schoonover then walked and immediately continued toward second. The play proved disastrous for Midwest Central. To nab Schoonover, Midwest’s senior pitcher Justin Goeken made an errant throw to second that went into center field, and Aper easily scored. Even worse for Midwest, the center fielder allowed the ball to get by him, and Schoonover rounded the bases on the play, giving Lincoln their 9-6 win.

[to top of second column in this article]

[Andrew Bartman gets his second hit and third RBI against Kankakee.]

[Michael Martin faces a Midwest Central batter. John Peters is catching.]

[Chris Phillips tosses another strike to a Kankakee hitter. Phillips struck out 11.]

The Railers knew that their third game, against Edwardsville (now 14-3), would be the toughest. Edwardsville had "10-runned" their opposition in their two previous games before coming to Lincoln. And in their opening two games in the round-robin tourney, a powerhouse Edwardsville scored 24 runs and allowed 0. Even worse, the field had a 90 mph wind blowing toward left field. (OK, it only seemed like that much, but it was probably 25-30 mph.) Edwardsville had seven extra base hits in the contest (three 2B, one 3B and three home runs). The home runs alone accounted for eight Tiger RBIs.

The Railers could produce only two hits in the game (by Justin Dedman and Chris Phillips). Their lone run (and the only run scored against Edwardsville in the tournament) came in the third inning. Andrew Bartman drew a walk to open the inning, and his pinch runner, Michael Martin, was awarded second on a balk. Blake Schoonover then grounded to third, but Edwardsville’s senior Josh Mercer threw the ball past first base and out of bounds, allowing Martin to score. However, later in the inning, with two runners on, Mercer started a perfectly efficient 5-4-3 double play to close the Lincoln inning.

Blake Schoonover had the inauspicious opportunity to start the game. Schoonover, who has had some arm tenderness this year, struck out his first batter but then surrendered two walks, a three-run homer and a double. Jamison Sheley then replaced a sore-armed Schoonover and went the remaining 4 2/3 innings of the shortened game. Sheley struck out two and surrendered eight hits, four walks, and hit one batter—all leading to 12 more runs (six earned).

Although the 15-1 score was obviously lopsided, the Railers played a decently solid game against a team that deserves recognition as a state-class ballclub. This year, the Tigers, whose school enrollment is nearly 2,200, have also beaten Chatham-Glenwood 13-0 and Collinsville 10-0. Two of their three losses have been by just one run (1-0 to O’Fallon and 4-3 to Alton). Carrying particularly big sticks against Lincoln were senior Matt Wyatt (HR, 1B) and junior Jeremy Loemker (2B, 2 HR).

The Railers have made a significant turnaround in their baseball program this year; yet they got a good taste of what kind of team they’d like yet to become. The only way to do that is to play better competition and develop. That’s one thing the Lincoln tournament provided.

This week, the Railers will be playing at Jacksonville on Tuesday and against Jacksonville at home on Thursday.

[Rich Knopp]

[Box score and stats vs. Kankakee.]

[Box score and stats vs. Midwest Central.]

[Box score and stats vs. Edwardsville.]

College baseball

Lincoln College vs. Springfield College

[APRIL 23, 2001]  Lincoln College split a baseball doubleheader with Springfield College on Saturday at Galen Shirley Memorial Field in Lincoln. Coach Tony Thomas and the Lynx pulled out a 6-5 victory in the first game with two runs in the bottom of the eighth inning. Springfield scored three times in the top of the first inning of the second game, and it was enough, as the Lynx were beaten 3-2.

Lincoln scored its two eighth-inning runs with the aid of just one hit. The leadoff hitter reached base  safely when hit by a pitch. Jake VanDyke then doubled. An intentional walk loaded the bases, and the first run came home on a wild pitch. After another intentional walk, Chris Ackman drew a bases-loaded walk to force home the winning run. VanDyke had a pair of hits to lead the Lynx at the plate.

Anthony Hoffert started on the mound for the Lynx against Craig Courtwright.  Both Hoffert and Courtwright graduated from Lincoln High School. Hoffert worked five innings and did not figure in the decision. Courtwright, who pitched well in a losing effort, suffered the loss.

In the second game, all the scoring was in the first inning. SCI scored three times in the first, and Lincoln came back with two in their half of the inning. The Lynx had numerous scoring chances, leaving 13 on base, but could not come up with the big hit against two Springfield hurlers. Ahmad Richie had a pair of hits, including a double, while Brad Bone had two hits, drove in a run and scored a run.   Jeff King was the starting and losing pitcher for the Lynx.

First game

Springfield College    102 010 01 – 5-8-3

Lincoln College         120 100 02 – 6-9-3

Courtwright (L) & Frawley; Hoffert, Knepper (6), Ri. Sherren (8-W) & Ro. Sherren.

Springfield College   300 000 0 – 3-6-1

Lincoln College        200 000 0 – 2-10-2

Jasprin (W), Moore (6) & Maulvay; King (L), Deakin (6) & Ro. Sherren.

[Bill Martinie,
Lincoln College sports information director]

College softball

Lincoln College vs. Springfield College

[APRIL 23, 2001]  The Lincoln College softball team played a twin bill in Springfield on Saturday against Springfield College and came home with a pair of victories. Lincoln won the first game 14-6 in six innings and took the nightcap 11-2 in five innings. The double victory raises the Lady Lynx record to 9-22 for the season.

In the first game the Lady Lynx were tied at 4-4 after four innings; however, LC put eight runs on the board in the sixth inning to put the game out of reach.  Ronni Beebe led a 13-hit attack with four hits, including a double.  Jody Hicks contributed three hits, including a triple. Crystal Wilkey and Heather Dobey both had a pair of hits. Brandi Barnes went the distance and picked up the pitching victory.

In the second game, Lincoln pushed across four runs in the first and then tallied seven times in the third to put the game out of reach for the hosts. Wilkey, Dobey and Beebe all had two hits to lead the Lady Lynx.   Jody Hicks picked up the victory on the mound for coach Jennifer Ciaccio.

First game

Lincoln College        020 228 – 14-13-6

Springfield College   010 302 – 6-7-4

Brandi Barnes (W) & Maggie Green; Stout (L) & Hagele.

Lincoln College        407 00 – 11-9-3

Springfield College   001 01 – 2-2-3

Jody Hicks (W) & Green; Urish (L) & Green.

[Bill Martinie,
Lincoln College sports information director]

[APRIL 27, 2001]  This week's LDN Sports Talk takes on a different look than ever before. Since I couldn't get the LDN powers-to-be to send me out to Colorado Springs to do this interview, Race and I struggled together by e-mailing. I spent a Saturday coming up with a list of 20 to 25 questions and finally just told him to answer them when he could. He did that while going to class, studying for a test, practicing and, I think, writing a paper. It is very easy for a sports writer like me to have nothing but admiration for young men like Race Steinfort. I'm glad people like him are protecting Payne at night while he sleeps (or keeps his parents up). I hope you loyal LDN fans will enjoy Race's written response to my list of questions as much as I did! On behalf of the LDN, thank you, Race. We all wish you nothing but the best!

Response from Race Steinfort

[click here for Part 1]

I am majoring in aeronautical engineering as well as getting my math minor. I’d like to someday go into airplane design. However, once I graduate, I will go off to Undergraduate Pilot Training (UPT) where I will be trained for approximately one year to fly jets. Following UPT, I will have a 10-year commitment to the Air Force in which I hope to fly F-15s and/or A-10s.

[Race Steinfort]

I have been swimming competitively for about 16 years now, and yes, it has prepared me for swimming here. College is a whole new game, though. Instead of swimming every event possible, I now specialize in two to three events: the 100/200 back and the 1,650 (mile) free.

As for people I should thank, there are far too many to list. I think the main contributors were a man named Fred Plesé and my parents.

Mr. Plesé has been a huge inspiration in my life. This man, through rain, dark, snow, and hail, managed to show up at 5:30 in the morning at least three times a week and get into the water to swim with my father and me. He started from barely being able to swim for five minutes to swimming for an hour-plus and getting out hardly even breathing hard, with a giant grin on his face like he had just conquered the world (or at least the pool). To this day he still swims with my father every other morning. His dedication to swimming, his job and a giant family, and more importantly, his ability to, day after day, show up at 5:30 a.m. ready to jump in a cold pool with a giant smile on his face has made me believe that no matter how cold the water is or what lies ahead, the only way to go is just smile and jump in.

I also have to thank my parents for all their support and love. They were there when I needed prodding and they were there to pick me up when I fell. They’ve been there through everything, and I know for sure that I wouldn’t be who and where I am today if it weren’t for them.

[to top of second column in this section]

The only advice I have to give is to never underestimate yourself or your abilities and never take the easy way out. Some people believe that they can’t get anywhere because they were never given an opportunity. No one is ever given an opportunity; you have to make one for yourself, whether it’s in a pool, on a court or in a classroom.

The key is to take the harder path. Sometimes it takes giving up some things such as time and freedom, but in the end, it’s just like an investment. That which you gave up will turn into something much better. For me, the time and freedom and other things that I have given up in the past have allowed me to swim Division I and attend a great college; and the freedom and regular college life that I’m giving up right now will allow me to fly a $30 million aircraft at two times the speed of sound. You cannot give up everything, but unless you make some sacrifices, you will not be able to achieve your goals.

Yes, I would recommend the Air Force Academy and I am glad I came, but I would have to add one thing. It is not for everyone. It is a different life. I already told you a little about freshman year for me. It wasn’t easy and it was rarely fun. The academy offers a great education, great friendships, and I get paid to go to school, but in return I have pledged to give my life in the defense of our nation. I owe at least five years to the Air Force after I graduate and 10 years if I become a pilot.

It is something that must be well thought through before the decision is made. But I’d have to say jumping out of airplanes and flying fighters is an excellent way to spend a summer!

[APRIL 26, 2001]  This week's LDN Sports Talk takes on a different look than ever before. Since I couldn't get the LDN powers-to-be to send me out to Colorado Springs to do this interview, Race and I struggled together by e-mailing. I spent a Saturday coming up with a list of 20 to 25 questions and finally just told him to answer them when he could. He did that while going to class, studying for a test, practicing and, I think, writing a paper. It is very easy for a sports writer like me to have nothing but admiration for young men like Race Steinfort. I'm glad people like him are protecting Payne at night while he sleeps (or keeps his parents up). I hope you loyal LDN fans will enjoy Race's written response to my list of questions as much as I did! On behalf of the LDN, thank you, Race. We all wish you nothing but the best!

Response from Race Steinfort

I’ve been at the USAF Academy for almost three years now. I am currently a Second Class Cadet (junior) and I am still happy with my decision to come, though during my Fourth Class year (freshman) I wasn’t so sure about that one.

[Marshal Haylett and Lincolnite Race Steinfort, teammates on the U.S. Air Force Academy swim team, the Falcons, pose on a crisp-looking day in the Colorado Rockies.]

The application process was a pretty lengthy one. It entailed sending in an application to both the academy and my congressmen, including my representative, the Illinois senators and the vice president. Any of those four government officials could give me a nomination to the academy. Rep. Dick Durbin gave me my nomination. The process for nomination consisted of a few questionnaires and an interview. The next step was to get accepted to the academy. This consisted of a physical fitness test, a very lengthy application with everything from medical history to police records to exactly why I wanted to attend the academy, an interview with an Air Force liaison officer, and an essay on why I wanted to come and what I wanted to do in the Air Force.

One of my requirements for a college was Division I swimming, with the other being aeronautical engineering. I planned on swimming here, and there’s no doubt that it has helped me make it through here. I have been one of the top backstrokers here, placing sixth in both the 100 back and 200 back at the Mountain West Conference, with a 50.02 and a 1:50.09 respectively. My best swim at that meet was in the morning, where I finally broke 1:50 in the 200 back to go a 1:49.39, my lifetime best.

We do get to travel quite a bit. We usually alternate with teams, going to their place one year and having them here the next. The main teams we always swim against are University of Washington, BYU, Utah, UNLV and Wyoming, to name a few. We also travel during Christmas break. We usually leave shortly after Christmas to go somewhere warm like California or Florida to train day in and day out for a little over a week.

[to top of second column in this section]

The question of whether or not being intercollegiate is an advantage is a pretty tough one. Yes, it has helped me a lot, but it has also made some aspects of life more difficult. The best part of being on a team here is the camaraderie and the friendships. We have a very close team here, and all the guys on the team look out for each other like brothers.

The hardest part of the academy is the loss of freedom during freshman year. You come from a high school where you are at the top of the chain, and you walk into a place where you are worth less than the dirt on the ground. It provides quite a bit of emotional stress among other things. I seriously doubted why I came, and I wasn’t sure that I wanted to stay. Everyone was always yelling at me and nothing seemed to be good enough. There was dust inside the smoke detector, a spot on the sink and my shoes were NEVER shiny enough (just a few of the things they’d pick on). The goal was to put as much stress on us as possible to weed out the people who didn’t want to be there and teach the rest of us how to deal with stress. That was pretty much all of basic training and freshman year.

This is where swimming and the team really helped me to get away and remember that I do have friends, and mainly, I wasn’t in this alone. Going down to the pool every day also helps to get away from the academic grind.

This, however, is also where sports are not so much an advantage. We, as intercollegiates, do not have a lighter academic load than anyone else here, despite the fact that we have three to four hours of our afternoon devoted to practice. This provides for many late nights and long weekends doing homework and studying. I’m taking 22.5 hours this semester as well as swimming for three hours every afternoon. Along with this, we, as cadets, have mandatory formations, In Rank Inspections (IRIs—uniform inspections) and Additional Morning Inspections (AMIs—room inspections) which we have to prepare and clean for at least twice a week and sometimes more depending on the leadership and how we did the previous week.

Traveling with the team is another bonus, in that for a weekend or at least a day or two you get to leave the academy and get away for a while. The only problem with that is that you miss classes and usually fall behind in the process, and catching up with 22 hours is not easy! Despite the disadvantages, the friends and the break from the grind for a day or two or even just a few hours in the day make being an intercollegiate well worth it in my mind.

(To be continued)

[click here for Part 2]

Announcements

Play ball with the Lincoln Park District

From Roy Logan, program coordinator

[APRIL 26, 2001]  The phase "play ball" is echoing all around the Lincoln Park District.  Teams for boys and girls have been chosen and practices are in full swing.  Registration for men's and women's softball is currently under way.  If you have not come to the office to pick up your roster and information, you will want to do so soon.

A new league offered this summer is Co-ed Over 40.  This league is strictly for the recreational player.  The season will not last as long.  Play will be at Memorial Park on Thursday nights.

The success of Lincoln's summer baseball and softball programs is directly related to the many local businesses that support the teams financially.  In these times of rising utilities and gas prices, we urge you to support the businesses whose names appear on the team shirts.  It takes not only money but volunteers as well.  Our thanks to the many people who donate their time and talent to coaching and keeping a great game on track.

Golf outing planned

[APRIL 12, 2001]  Abraham Lincoln Healthcare Foundation has set Friday, June 29, for their seventh annual golf outing at the Elk’s Country Club in Lincoln.

The format will again be a four-person scramble with a 7:30 a.m. and 1 p.m. shotgun start. The $75 entry fee includes greens fee and free cart rental, along with opportunities to win prizes and awards, including Hole-in-One, Top Foursomes, Longest Putt, Longest Drive and Closest to the Pin, for both men and women. Also provided are a continental breakfast and buffet luncheon.

In addition to golfing, a variety of sponsorships are available, including Tee, Cart and Prize Sponsorships. Appropriate recognition and benefits are provided for each sponsor.

All funds raised from the golf outing support the ALMH Care-A-Van service. The Care-A-Van is a specially equipped van, custom-built to provide non-emergency transportation for individuals who are wheelchair-bound or need transportation assistance to get to necessary appointments.

For more information on player registration or sponsorship opportunities, please call Cynthia Kelley at (217) 732-2161, Ext. 405.

[News release]

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