BLOOMINGTON – LeRoy senior left fielder Teddy Harms explained Saturday his team did not score too early during games last season. He said the Panthers usually didn’t strike until the third or fourth inning. But this year, he added, they had been scoring earlier – some games in the first inning – to achieve wins.
On Saturday, at Jack Hornenberger Field on Illinois Wesleyan University’s campus for a chance at a Class 1A Sectional semifinal victory against Ottawa, Ill.-based Marquette Academy, the early scoring pattern showed up again, helping the Panthers outpace the Crusaders, 6-4, to advance to the Danville Schlarman Sectional championship Tuesday against Salt Fork.
After Marquette Academy (26-7) failed to score in their half of the game’s first inning, LeRoy (29-5) took a 2-0 lead, as with one out, a double by senior left fielder Harms scored senior center fielder Ethan Bryant who had doubled in front of him, giving the Panthers a 1-0 lead. After senior first baseman Ricky Vermaat struck out for the inning’s second out, sophomore right fielder Austin Lane doubled scoring Harms, increasing LeRoy’s lead, 2-0. But junior pitcher Brett Egan struck out ending the Panthers’ scoring.
Marquette Academy left fielder Dylan Gerding led off the top of the third inning with a double and advanced around the bases during an out and a single by as Crusaders senior catcher John Lechtenberg giving LeRoy a 2-1 lead.
Marquette Academy went scoreless in the top of the second inning and was hampered by defensive mistakes which LeRoy capitalized on. Panthers senior shortstop Bryce Dooley led the bottom of the second inning by getting to second base on a single and a Crusaders error. Bryant followed hitting directly to Marquette Academy first baseman Logan Komater for the inning’s first out.
Harms then singled and advanced to second on a second Marquette error and Vermaat singled and advanced to second on an error, scoring Dooley and Harms, giving LeRoy a 4-1 lead. That was followed by Lane’s bases-clearing triple, scoring Vermaat, upping the Panthers’ lead, 5-1.
A 6th inning double by Lane scored Harms, who singled to start the inning, increasing LeRoy’s lead, 6-1.
Marquette Academy regrouped in the top of the seventh inning as Lechtenberg smacked a three run home run with no outs, scoring Komater who singled and leadoff man senior second baseman Joe Hawks who started the inning with a walk, slicing LeRoy’s, 6-4. Those developments prompted LeRoy head coach Wayne Meyer to visit the mound to check on his pitcher, Brett Egan. Following the visit, Egan demonstrated to his coach a victory was in hand, striking out Crusaders third baseman Keaton Snyder and watching Crusaders shortstop Jel Raikes get put out at first base.
Egan collected the win, increasing his record to 9-1, while Marquette Academy’s Bryce Fanti was the losing pitcher, his record dropping to 7-3.
Harms said his first inning double “contributed to the momentum of the game. We knew Ottawa Marquette was going to have good offense, and surprisingly, they didn’t have any until the last inning. We knew we were going to have to come out and hit the ball well to counter their offense.â€
Of his decision not to yank his pitcher in the late innings, LeRoy head coach Wayne Meyer explained, “Egan had a heavy workload today, but he’s been off a week and we threw a lot of change-ups, so Brett was going to stay out there until we won.â€
In regard to the hits Harms got during the contest, Meyer said his left fielder had been hitting pitches under the ball lately. Meyer said he had been trying to get Harms to get his bat to meet “the meat of the bat.†Meyer added, “But when he’s in the middle, he can really drive it.â€
“You’ve got to give LeRoy’s kids credit,†Marquette Academy head coach Todd Hopkins said following the game. “They came out swinging the bats and made plays and Egan was outstanding. We were trying to get something going and get the pitch count up the last two or three innings. We got guys on, we got the three runs in our half of the seventh inning, and things just didn’t pan out. Give LeRoy credit. They won the game and they deserve to go on and I wish them the best.â€
Fisher Ends LeRoy Softball’s Season: But while the boys were claiming victory, LHS’ Softball team fought hard in the closing innings against Fisher in their Class 1A Sectional semifinal, but wound up falling to the Bunnies, 16-9. The loss gave head coach Doug Hageman’s troops a 28-7 record for the year.