Prairie Central, Dwight post victories as regional play begins

FAIRBURY — Prairie Central waited until the end to get its game-winning tally across the plate as the Hawks advanced to the semifinal round of the Class 2A Pontiac Regional softball tournament.

Prairie Central edged Paxton-Buckley-Loda 1-0 Monday at The Diamonds at Lewis Field. The game's only run was scored in the bottom of the seventh inning, giving PC hurler Katy Curl a shut out in her final game on the PCHS diamond.

Curl and PBL hurler Emma Steiner hooked up in a pitcher's duel as they combined to allow just one run, six hits and 23 strikeouts.

Curl held the Panthers hitless until the allowing a two-out single in the top of the sixth inning. She never was in true danger as she struck out 12, allowed a hit, one walk and hit a batter.

Prairie Central wasn't managing much against Steiner, either. Steiner fanned 11 and yielded five hits — four came from Kenna Skaggs and Curl with two each.

It was Skaggs and Curl who won the game in the last of the seventh inning. Skaggs led off the inning with a triple to right. She scored two batters later when Curl singled to send the Hawks to the next round.

Prairie Central had scoring opportunities earlier in the game but could not capitalize. Dixie Hogan doubled with one out in the second but was left stranded. PC had the bases loaded with one out in the sixth inning but two strikeouts snuffed out that threat.

Curl had two hits and drove in a run to lead the Prairie Central (4-18) offense. Skaggs had a triple, single and run scored and Hogan doubled.

The Hawks traveled to Pontiac on Tuesday to take on the regional host and top-seeded Indians.

Dwight 18, Grace Christian 0

DWIGHT — Samantha Harsh was perfect in her four innings in the circle as she pitched Dwight to an 18-0 victory over Grace Christian Academy in opening-round play of the Class 1A Dwight Regional softball tournament Monday.

Harsh struck out nine of the 12 batters she faced, including the first four she faced.

Thanks to the sweet swinging Erin Anderson, the Trojans (12-11) scored 18 runs in just three innings at bat. Anderson accounted for one third of the DTHS markers.

Dwight scored 10 runs in the first inning to provide Harsh with much more run-support than was needed. Anderson smacked a triple to plate Megan Livingston and Jordan Schultz for the first DTHS runs. Anderson smacked another triple later in the inning to drive in B Connor, Maci Johnson and Livingston. Anderson also scored on an error on the play to complete the scoring.

Anderson drove in her sixth run of the game with a groundout in the second as the Trojans pushed their advantage to 13-0.

It was 15-0 when DTHS batted in the third. Two bases-loaded walks and a bases-loaded hit by pitch in the third.

Anderson had two triples and six runs batted in as Dwight advanced to semifinal round Wednesday against Woodland. Alexis Thetard had two hits and drove in two runs while Johnson had a pair of hits and a run batted in. Rachel Heath had two hits while Schultz had a hit and RBI and Avery Scheuer had a base knock.

EPG 8, Fieldcrest 3

EL PASO — Morgan Seggerman, Lydia Hall and Isabel Vargas combined for nine base hits and four runs batted in as EL Paso-Gridley dumped Fieldcrest 8-3 in the opening round of the Class 2A IVC Regional Monday at South Pointe Park.

Seggerman, Hall and Vargas each singled to load the bases for the Titans in the home-half of the first inning. Seggerman scored on a groundout before Gracie Sieger helped her cause with a two-run double for a 3-0 lead.

Hall doubled with two outs in the second to drive in Seggerman and make it 4-0.

Fieldcrest scored all its runs in the top of the third frame to make it a one-run game. Most of the damage was done after two were out. Ella Goodrich had a double in driving in the first run. Kristyn Swartz singled in two to make it 4-3.

Vargas delivered a run-scoring single in the EPG fourth and the Titans shut the door in the sixth with a three-spot.

Seggerman led off the EPG sixth with a triple. Hall singled to score Seggerman and Vargas tripled in a run. Kyra Carr singled in the final run of the game.

Vargas (triple, two singles) and Hall (double, two singles) had three hits and two runs batted in apiece. Seggerman tripled among her three safeties. Ella Schramek had a double, single and RBI and Heidianne Hunsinger had two hits. Sieger had a double and two RBIs while Carr had a hit and run batted in.

Sieger allowed three runs and six hits while striking out four as the titans improved to 7-11.

Goodrich had two doubles for the Knights.

Baseball

Dwight 10, Ridgeview 9

COLFAX — Dwight's regular season will not look nearly as good as its postseason mark after the Trojans got past Ridgeview in the opening round of the Class 1A Roanoke-Benson Regional baseball tournament Monday.

It took surviving a rally, but the Trojans edged the Mustangs 10-9 to guarantee no worse than a .500 mark in the postseason.

Dwight seemingly broke open a close game in the middle three innings as it built a 10-2 advantage. The Trojans scored two runs in the top of the first inning and did not trail the rest of the way.

Luke Gallet doubled to drive in Jack Duffy in the first inning. Gallet scored on a passed ball later for the two-run lead. It was 3-0 after DTHS batted in the second when a balk, with Gallet at bat, allowed Dillon Sarff to score.

Ridgeview scored two runs in the bottom of the second to cut the margin to 3-2, but the Trojans responded with two runs in the third, three more in the fourth and two runs in the fifth for a 10-2 lead.

Dawson Carr drove in a run in the third, Gallet doubled in two runs and Terry Wilkey had a run-scoring two-base hit in the fourth.

The Mustangs tried to rally beginning with five runs in the last of the fifth inning. Single runs in the sixth and seventh runs cut the margin to one run. Gallet struck out the final two batters as Ridgeview left the tying run stranded on second base.

Gallet had a pair of doubles and drove in three runs to lead the Dwight (3-18) offense. Sarff had a double and single while Carr registered a triple and run batted in, Wilkey doubled and drove in a run and Ryan Turner and Jeremy Kapper each singled.

Wilkey got the win after going the first 4 2/3 innings. He fanned eight while giving up seven runs (all unearned), seven hits and one walk. Tyler Cox allowed two runs and four hits while striking out one in 1 2/3 innings. Gallet got the save after recording two punchouts and allowing a walk.

The Trojans will meet regional host Roanoke-Benson Thursday.