Brimfield/Elmwood falls one rally shy of state berth: ‘Never gave in’
- Mark Wagner
- 4 hours ago
- 4 min read
PERU – In their second year under head coach James Sams, Brimfield-Elmwood baseball has had a tough road to the super-sectional.
As a No. 2 seed, the Indians had already beaten two No. 1 seeds, those being Taylor Ridge Rockridge in the sectional semifinals and Carthage Illini West in the sectional finals.
However, Ottawa Marquette posed the most stern test so far after beating two of its four opponents in the playoffs by nine or more runs, both being at sectionals.
After a back and forth contest at Schweickert Stadium, the home of the Prospect League’s Illinois Valley Pistol Shrimp, the Crusaders pulled off a 9-6 victory to advance to state for the sixth time in eight years while Brimfield/Elmwood’s bid came up just short after a late rally.
“We never gave in,” Sams said. “There were plenty of times they could have broke the game open and we battled back every time, and we were in it until the last strike.”
Want to read more?
Subscribe to clutchsportsil.com to keep reading this exclusive post.