The Roundup, May 3, 2025: Multiple scorefests in baseball and softball, massive day for girls soccer

Morton's Christian Harris. Jonathan Michel/Clutch Sports Media

Despite the limited number of games in baseball and softball, teams around the area did not disappoint, as homers, walk-offs, and strikeouts provided for some great action.

Girls soccer had tournaments galore, which provided goal-fests and penalty shootouts. Track and field was headlined by the Morton Distance Gala, in which both boys and girls teams competed. Many area competitors took podium spots and all-around great performances to lead them into the rest of the season.

Check out all the scores, recaps and top performers from the day in The Roundup!

In baseball

Eureka 7, Clinton 4: Eureka (23-2, 10-0 Heart of Illinois) took the lead 7-1 in the fourth before three runs were scored by Clinton in the seventh. Fortunately for the Hornets, that was all the scoring that would happen, giving them a 7-4 win. Teagan McLaughlin, Cohen Alstat and Cooper Peterson each had two hits, while Parker Roberts only gave up three hits and a run, clinching the win on the mound.

IVC 7, Rantoul 2: IVC (14-10, 5-1 Illini Prairie) triumphed over Rantoul after going up 5-0 in the second, only to maintain a lead until the end of the game. Griffen Landsverk was the big-time batter for the Grey Ghosts with three hits while Sam Griggs, Keegan Schol and Brody Garceau provided two more hits each. Schol pitched the whole game for IVC, and with only three hits and two runs given up, he had an epic two-way performance yesterday.

Henry-Senachwine 8, Peoria Heights 0: It was an unfortunate first inning for Peoria Heights (3-14, 0-4 Inter-County) as they gave up seven runs. The score stayed 7-0 until the sixth, when Henry-Senachwine scored another. Barrett Marfell, Brayden Sherlock and Jorge Castro all had one hit each, the only Patriots batters to do so, while Ricky Martin gave up three hits and seven runs through four innings, giving him the loss.

Farmington 6, Sciota West Prairie 0: Farmington (18-5, 6-1 Prairieland) kept their opponents Sciota West Prairie scoreless through seven innings while scoring six runs of their own. The Farmers scored two runs in both the first and the second and continued by scoring once in the fifth and the sixth. Ben Marvel, Bronson Atchley, Jacob Evans and Carter Lambin all hit the ball once. Lambin had a decent outing on the mound as well, going three innings without giving up a single run.

Brimfield/Elmwood 14, LVC 6: Brimfield/Elmwood’s (20-4-1, 3-1 Inter-County) batters kept good statlines, allowing them to score 14 runs, including seven in the third. The Indians just kept scoring and scoring for five consecutive innings, except the second, to knock off LVC. Brady Johnson went four-for-five with three RBIs while Layne Johnson went three-for-four with an RBI. Sean Crowe came in as relief in the second and went on to strike out seven batters, only giving up three hits and two runs.

Roanoke-Benson 8, Dee-Mack 1: Dee-Mack (11-13, 6-5 Heart of Illinois) seemed to struggle a lot against Roanoke-Benson. The Chiefs went down 8-0 only to score one run in the sixth, reducing the lead to seven. Hunter Fogle and Brody Williams helped the Dee-Mack offense out with two hits each, while Parker Eggenberger’s four-inning day ended with four hits and four runs given up.

Bloomington Central Catholic 4, Tri-Valley 3 (9 innings): Bloomington Central Catholic (4-19, 1-7 Illini Prairie) and Tri-Valley (12-6-1, 7-4 Heart of Illinois) battled through regulation, but could not get it done in seven innings. With the score tied at 3-3, BCC came through in the ninth, scoring on a groundball into center. The Saints were led by Carter Landrus, who had 3 total hits, followed by 2 hits from Crayton Schnierle. Ian VanEtten pitched all seven regulation innings, giving up 6 hits and 3 runs, but striking out five batters. Tri-Valley’s Isaiah Alexander, Sam Knochel and Grayson Coughlin provided 2 hits each, while Eli Roberts pitched 6⅔ innings, striking out nine batters, but giving up six hits and three runs. However, it was Justin McNeely who gave up the final run, making him the losing pitcher.

Normal Community 3, Moline 0: Normal Community had the lowest-scoring contest of the night, finishing the first game of their doubleheader with Moline 3-0. Two of the three runs were scored in the fifth inning, including an RBI single and double. Max Heineman, who hit the aforementioned RBI single, had three hits, leading the Ironmen, while Drew Stevens and Gavin Michaels followed with two hits each. Gavin Swartz gave Normal Community the win on the mound, only giving up four hits through a complete game.

Normal Community 12, Moline 5: Heineman struck again, going four-for-five with two doubles and a triple to help Normal Community (21-4, 12-1 Big 12) win by seven. Stevens and Swartz both hit home runs, which scored three runs altogether, while Michaels went a perfect three-for-three. Lucas Beaty only allowed two hits on the mound and struck out four batters in four innings, giving him the win.

El Paso-Gridley 4, East St. Louis 0: El Paso-Gridley (7-17, 2-9 Heart of Illinois) piggybacked off a stellar mound performance, using both pitchers to absolute perfection. Caden Castleman pitched the first five innings and struck out 11 batters while Blake Harris finished things off with five strikeouts of his own. Harris seemed to have a great performance at the plate, too, going two-for-four and grabbing an RBI. The two pitchers allowed only two hits combined, giving Joah Knapp and Cooper Toth the chance to earn an RBI each.

ROWVA/Williamsfield 8, Princeville 2: Princeville spent the day facing ROWVA/Williamsfield in their fourth consecutive Saturday doubleheader. Unfortunately for the Princes, they went down 8-0 in the bottom of the fifth and never recovered, even after a solid offensive showing in the sixth. Carter Peterson led the team with two hits, and Parker Dickinson gave up seven hits and seven hits in the losing effort.

ROWV/A/Williamsfield 9, Princeville 2: Princeville (10-13-1, 5-5 Lincoln Trail) ended up losing by a wider margin in their second game, as ROWVA/Williamsfield went 5-0 up in the fourth while adding four more in the fifth. Seven innings would not be enough for the Princes to make a comeback, meaning the Cougars won 9-2. Cooper Cox had a hit and an RBI, making him the only Princeville batter to provide both. Logan Olshawsky took the loss after four innings, giving up seven hits and five runs.

Canton 5, Abingdon-Avon 2: Canton (9-12, 1-8) provided the only Mid-Illini baseball action of the day, and it did not disappoint. Even though there was a lack of hits, there certainly wasn’t a lack of runs, as after being down 2-0 in the first, the Little Giants scored five runs in two innings, leading to a final score of 5-2. Miles Hoops, Colin Johnson and Drake Haffner had Canton’s only hits of the ballgame, while Kash VanHouten and Brody Ketcham combined on the mound to get the win and the save, respectively. VanHouten’s three-inning tenure only resulted in two runs given up as well as 6 K’s, while Ketcham kept the Tornadoes scoreless in the seventh, holding them to only one hit.

Maine South 7, Normal West 5: Normal West (16-9, 10-3 Big 12) were not as lucky as their city and conference counterparts, losing by two to Maine South. However, the Wildcats put up an impressive display despite the result. Six of their batters had one hit, including Drew Hart, who also totaled three RBIs, as well as Brady Hart and Chase Knuth, who provided another RBI each. Chase Reinhart’s 3⅔ innings on the rubber resulted in four hits and five runs given up, but it also included five strikeouts.

In softball

Peoria Notre Dame 10, Morton 4: Peoria Notre Dame (10-10, 3-2 Big 12) reached the .500 mark yesterday against Morton (5-18, 1-7 Mid-Illini) thanks to all 10 of their runs coming in the first four innings. Five of those were scored in the second inning, including an RBI double and triple. For the Irish, Gracie Anderson went three-for-three, scoring twice and driving in three more, while Lauren Leustek, Ella Tady and Addie Rezac each had two hits. Lexie Dallinger-Eaker pitched three innings, giving up five hits and four runs in the winning effort. Riley Gashaw and Ellie VanMeenen led the Potter offense with two hits each, while Regan Gashaw’s six hits and six runs given up in less than two innings gave her the loss.

Illini Bluffs 11, Limestone 1: After five innings, Illini Bluffs (11-5, 2-0 Inter-County) handled Limestone (6-13, 1-7 Mid-Illini) very easily by 10 runs. Six runs were scored in the fourth, making it 11-1, which was enough for a mercy rule. Sara Finn, McKenzie Nutter, and Chloe Eeten all provided two hits for the Tigers whilst Cora Ellison finished her four-inning performance only giving up three hits and a run. Meanwhile, Alyssa Moran put the ball in play twice and Brianna Birkett had the only other hit of the game for the Rockets. Jaira Garlock struggled throughout, as 10 hits and 11 runs got past her in only four innings.

IVC 14, Rantoul 4: 15 hits and 14 runs propelled IVC (14-10, 2-4 Illini Prairie) to victory against a game Rantoul side. It all ended in the sixth inning after a three-run from Mack Barton, which activated another mercy rule. Jemah Culbertson led the Grey Ghosts with three hits while five more IVC batters smacked two hits each. Emmy Fleming, who pitched all six innings, gave up six hits and four runs while adding four strikeouts into the mix.

Tolono Unity 12, Tri-Valley 2: Tri-Valley started their Saturday doubleheader against a highly-ranked team in Tolono Unity. The Vikings’ five hits, including two from Addy Freihaut, weren’t enough to defeat the Rockets, as they lost by 10 after five innings. Ellie Dehner gave up the loss after three innings where she let eight hits and 9 runs past.

Springfield Sacred Heart Griffin 6, Tri-Valley 2: Tri-Valley (15-4-1, 9-1 Heart of Illinois) had to lace their cleats again to face Springfield Sacred Heart Griffin, which did not go to plan either. After the Cyclones scored four runs in the third, the Vikings could not catch up, with the final score being 6-2. Freihaut went two-for-two, leading the team in hits, while Zoey Whittaker provided the only RBI of the game for Tri-Valley off a double.

In girls soccer

Dunlap 6, Burbank Reavis 0: Dunlap (10-4-3, 4-0 Mid-Illini) shut out Burbank Reavis at the Bettendorf TOC, scoring four goals in the second half. The Eagles will get back at it Tuesday to face Morton.

Morton 5, Chatham Glenwood 2: Morton (15-2, 5-0 Mid-Illini) extended its win streak to an impressive 13 games after a quality win over Chatham Glenwood. The Potters have another big game on the docket with Dunlap coming to town on Tuesday. 

Waunakee (WI) 3, Peoria Notre Dame 1: PND (16-1-1, 7-0-1 Big 12) dropped its first game of the season to Waunakee in the championship game of its bracket against Waunakee out of Wisconsin, who scored twice in the final minutes to win. The Irish will face Normal West on Wednesday.

Bloomington Central Catholic 3, Rock Island Alleman 3: BCC (10-8-2, 2-1 Illini Prairie) drew in a goal-fest with Alleman, extending its streak without a loss to five games. The Saints are back in action on Monday against Decatur St. Teresa.

Glenbrook South 3, Normal Community 2 (4-3 PKs): Normal Community went all the way to penalty kicks against Glenbrook South but fell short by one goal in the shootout. 

Batavia 1, Normal Community 0: Normal Community (11-8-1, 6-2 Big 12) fell in its third close contest of the weekend at the Bettendorf TOC to Class 3A counterpart Batavia. The Iron will look to turn things around against Urbana on Tuesday.

Geneseo 3, Washington 2 (PKs): Washington (7-7-1, 4-1 Mid-Illini) dropped its second and final contest at the Bettendorf TOC against Geneseo in penalty kicks. The Panthers will play their penultimate conference game on Tuesday next against Canton.

Canton 3, Peoria Christian 0: Canton (8-7-1, 1-3 Mid-Illini) picked up its third win in its last four games over Peoria Christian (5-4). The Little Giants led by two goals and an assist from Alycyn Callear and one goal and one assist from Johanna Theobald. 

Richwoods 0, Glenbard South 0: Neither Richwoods (12-5-4, 4-2-2 Big 12) nor Glenbard South found the back of the net in their matchup at the Bettendorf TOC. The Knights head into their regular season home stretch against Peoria High on Tuesday. 

Clayton (MO) 3, Pekin 0: Pekin (9-8-2, 2-3 Mid-Illini) was shut out by Clayton in the championship game of its bracket at the Bettendorf TOC and will look to stay above .500 on Monday against Peoria Christian. 

Monticello 4, IVC 0: IVC (2-15-1, 0-3 Illini Prairie) fell to Monticello in its final conference game of the season and will head into the last week of the regular season starting with Olympia on Tuesday. 

In boys track and field

At Morton: Many area schools competed at the Morton Distance Gala and runners put up some of the better times in the state this season. Morton’s Abe Martin won the 800 in 1:55.04, the new No. 8 time in the state, closely followed by Normal Community’s AJ Ince, Washington’s Ben Gorsage and Normal Community’s Nate Witzig. Elmwood/Brimfield’s Darwin Herman edged out Morton’s Christian Harris for the title in the 1600, finishing in 4:17.75 with Harris 14 hundredths of a second behind. Normal Community’s Joey Yaros and Morton’s Boston Beyer and Maxwell Carter rounded out the top five in order. Washington’s Fisher Rinkenberger brought home the gold in the 3200, running a 9:34.85 with Elmwood/Brimfield’s trio of Mika Nelson (2nd), Aiden Faulkner (3rd) and Danny Sharp (5th) also finishing in the top five. Metamora was led by sixth-place finishes from Trae Helwig (800) and Zach Born (1600). Peoria Notre Dame’s Dax Duffy paced the Irish with a ninth-place showing in the 1600. Dunlap was led by Jack Nester taking 12th in the 800 with Pekin’s top finisher Devon Hayes right behind him. 

In girls track and field

At Morton: The area’s best distance runners converged at the Morton Distance Gala as Washington’s Sophia Ramirez led the way by winning the 1600 in 5:06.29, followed by Normal U-High’s Zoe Carter in second, Morton’s Avery Braker in third and Dunlap’s Aubrey Ott in fifth. Normal West’s Abigail Jackson finished second in the 800, with Normal Community’s Lily Cavanaugh and Morton’s Nyameye Maison right behind her. Other top finishers for their schools included Metamora’s Mia Whitfield, who finished sixth in the 800 and Pekin’s Morgan Coker who finished right behind her. El Paso-Gridley’s Haven Miller slotted in sixth in the 1600, Peoria Notre Dame’s Maya Zopel in eighth in the 1600 and Limestone’s Michaela Pilgrim who finished tenth in the same event. Results from the girls 3200 meters were unavailable as of Saturday night. 

In boys lacrosse

Lemont 14, Bloomington-Normal [Co-op] 7: Bloomington-Normal was doubled up by Lemont and fell to 4-5 on the season. The Purple Ironcats’ next game comes on Wednesday on the rod against Plainfield North.

In boys tennis

At Algonquin: Normal Community competed at the Algonquin Jacobs Pitchford Invite with Evan Henneberg led the Ironmen by rebounding from an opening loss in No. 1 singles to win his consolation bracket after three straight victories. 

Bloomington 3, Morton 2

Bloomington 4, Peoria Notre Dame 1