Hilltoppers defeat Decatur LSA 12-2

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[May 20, 2022]    Mount Pulaski hosted Decatur LSA in regional baseball action Wednesday afternoon. After a slow start, the Hilltoppers bats caught fire and the runs were plenty as Mount Pulaski won by a final score of 12-2. 

 

The Lions held a 1-0 lead until the bottom of the fourth inning.

 

Landon Smith and Jackson Fricke walked with one out to start the Hilltoppers rally in the bottom of the fourth inning. Mount Pulaski tied the game when Chance Payne hit a line drive and reached on an error, driving in Landon Smith with the first run. Clay Aylesworth drove in the go-ahead run on a sacrifice fly to left field. After a walk to AJ Bailey, Lucas Kuhlman singled to drive in Payne and the Hilltoppers were up 3-1.

 

A five-run fifth inning by the Hilltoppers put the game out of reach for the Lions. Aylesworth’s bases-clearing double was the big blow of the inning. Landon Smith added an RBI single and Aylesworth scored the final run of the inning on a wild pitch. Mount Pulaski had stretched the lead to 8-1 over the Lions.

 

LSA scored a run in the top of the sixth inning. 

 

The Hilltoppers ended the game in the bottom of the sixth inning by the 10-run rule. Liam Smith’s double drove in Evan Cooper and Gavin Smith. After Landon Smith was hit by a pitch, Fricke singled to center to send both Liam Smith and Landon Smith across home plate. 

 

The Hilltoppers advance to the regional championship on Saturday with the 12-2 win over Decatur LSA.

 

Landon Smith earned the win for Mount Pulaski. Smith threw five innings. He allowed one unearned run on two hits. He struck out 11 batters and walked three.

 

Gavin Smith pitched an inning in relief. He stuck out three batters and walked one. 

 

Landon Smith also racked up two hits on the day and scored three times, while driving in one run. 

 

Liam Smith, Jackson Fricke, Clay Aylesworth and Lucas Kuhlman each had one hit. 

 

Aylesworth led the Hilltoppers with four RBIs.

 

Mount Pulaski improves their record to 22-5. 

 

Mount Pulaski will play the winner of the St. Thomas More/Argenta-Oreana game on Saturday. 

The regional championship game time is yet to be determined due to graduation schedules of the above two schools.

[Teena Lowery]

 

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