Wilmington shuts down Kankakee in nonconference win: Thursday’s Daily Journal Roundup

Baseball

Wilmington 12, Kankakee 0: Cooper Holman threw four strong innings Thursday to lead the Wildcats (17-7) to a nonconference home win over the Kays (8-15). It was the third straight double-digit shutout win for Wilmington. Holman allowed just one hit over his four innings, recording six strikeouts and no walks. Drew Jackson struck out two batters in one relief inning. Lucas Rink was 1 for 2 with a double, a sac fly, two RBIs and a run while Ryan Kettman was 1 for 3 with two RBIs and two runs.

Kankakee’s Byron Wills was 1 for 2 with a single, the Kays’ lone hit, and a stolen base.

Central 14, Grant Park 4: The Comets (10-9, 8-2 RVC) picked up River Valley Conference win on the road over the Dragons (6-12, 4-6 RVC) on Thursday. Blake Chandler went 3 for 3 with a walk, two RBIs and four runs for Central. Owen Palmateer was 2 for 3 with two walks, an RBI and two runs.

Grant Park’s Dean Malkowski was 3 for 3 with an RBI and a run while Aiden Overbeek was 1 for 2 with a walk, an RBI and a run.

St. Anne Donovan 12, Gardner-South Wilmington 0: Carter Ponton tossed a two-hit shutout Thursday as the Cardinals (11-8, 5-4 RVC) completed the conference sweep over the Panthers (7-13, 3-5). He allowed a double and a single while striking out eight batters and not issuing a walk. Jacob Onnen finished a double shy of the cycle, going 3 for 3 with a home run, a triple, two RBIs and three runs. Andy Cintora was 2 for 3 with two doubles, an RBI and two runs.

Gardner-South Wilmington’s Aiden Mack was 1 for 2 with a double and Ryan Milette was 1 for 1 with a single.

Coal City 8, Newark 2: The Coalers (17-11) were victorious in a nonconference game at home Thursday, needing just five hits to get their eight runs thanks to nine walks issued by Newark pitching. Ethan Olson walked in all three of his plate appearances and had an RBI and two runs. Donnie Ladas was 2 for 3 with two RBIs. Kellen Forsythe allowed just two hits and two unearned runs over seven innings, recording eight strikeouts.

Hoopeston 7, Beecher 0: Santino Imhof had the only hit for the Bobcats (10-15) in their nonconference loss Thursday on the road. He was 1 for 3 with a single.

Softball

Gardner-South Wilmington 19, Donovan 1: Maddie Simms hit two home runs in just the top of the first inning Thursday as the Panthers (17-9, 8-3 RVC) finished off the River Valley Conference sweep of Donovan (7-11, 4-7 RVC). She hit a two-run inside the park home run as the second batter of the game and later homered over the fence in right, driving in two runs and capping a nine-run inning for the Panthers. She also picked up the win, allowing just one hit and an unearned run in four innings. She had eight strikeouts. Ella Mack was 3 for 4 with a triple, two doubles, two RBIs and three runs.

Donovan’s Evelynn Lopez was 1 for 2 with an RBI single. Chloe Ponton walked and scored a run.

Central 5, Grant Park 1: A commanding pitching performance from Sydney Jemar, who allowed one hit and one run over seven innings while striking out eight batters, helped the Comets (13-12, 8-4 RVC) split a conference series with the Dragons (11-9, 7-5). Jemar was also 1 for 3 with a double and an RBI. Emily Ponton was 2 for 4 with a double, an RBI and two runs.

Grant Park’s Cheyenne Hayes struck out 13 batters over her seven innings of work. She was also 1 for 2 with a walk and an RBI. Abigail Roberts had a walk and a run.

Momence 10, Illinois Lutheran 6: With its RVC win on the road Thursday, Momence (1-16, 1-10) broke into the win column for the first time this season. Emma Varnak was 3 for 5 with an RBI and two runs while Sydnee Vanswol was 2 for 4 with a triple, a double, a walk and three runs. Alexis Cook and Brooklyn Moeller had two RBIs apiece.

Wilmington 14, Bloom 0: Lexi Strohm threw a no hitter Thursday in the Wildcats’ nonconferenec win on the road. She walked just one batter and had seven strikeouts in the game. Molly Southall was 3 for 3 with two triples, a double, a walk, three RBIs and four runs while Nina Egizio was 3 for 3 with a double, a walk, three RBIs and three runs. Taylor Stefancic was 2 for 4 with three RBIs and two runs.

Manteno 11, Joliet Catholic 10 (8 inn.): Manteno (17-4) played and won its second straight extra-inning game on Thursday, this time at home with Maddy Kvasnicka’s infield single in the bottom of the eighth giving the Panthers a walkoff win. Sophie Peterson was 4 for 5 with a double, a triple, two RBIs and three runs while Savanna Watkins was 3 for 5 with a double, an RBI and two runs. Jaz Manau and Ava Peterson each went 4 for 5.

Beecher 12, Providence Catholic 9: The Bobcats (28-1) chipped away for a close nonconference win over Providence Catholic at home. Of Beecher’s 14 hits in the game, 13 were singles. Ava Lorenzatti was 3 for 5 with an RBI and a run. Makenzie Johnson was 2 for 5 with an RBI and two runs while Elena Kvasnicka was 2 for 4 with two runs and two RBIs. Alexa Gilva was 1 for 3 with three RBIs and a run.

Iroquois West 12, St. Anne 11: After falling behind 11-10 in the top of the seventh, the Raiders (7-13) came back to win on a two-run walkoff double from Nevaeh Medina, who was 2 for 3 with two doubles, a walk, three RBIs and a run. Amelia Scharp was 3 for 4 with a double, a walk, two RBIs and three runs while Kyla Dewitt was 2 for 5 with two RBIs and three runs.

The Cardinals (2-14) were led by Maya Anderson, who was 2 for 4 with a triple, a walk, three RBIs and two runs. Sophia Romera was hitless in two at bats, but walked twice, had three RBIs and a run.

Watseka 9, Bismarck-Henning 7: Up six runs with two innings to play, the Warriors (8-12, 4-4 VVC) held on for a home win, their fourth straight Vermilion Valley Conference in a row. Christa Holohan was 2 for 3 with a home run, a walk, two RBIs and a run while Emma Klopp was 2 for 4 with two doubles and two runs. Noelle Schroeder was 2 for 4 with two doubles and three RBIs.

Newark 9, Coal City 7: Madalyn Peterson was 3 for 4 with a triple and a run while Addison Harvey was 2 for 4 with four RBIs and a run Thursday in a losing effort for the Coalers (17-8). Masyn Kuder allowed just six hits in seven innings, with six of her nine runs allowed being unearned.

Morris 7, Reed-Custer 2: The Comets (9-15) fell on the road to Morris in nonconference action Thursday. Makenzie Foote had the team’s lone hit, going 1 for 3 with a run. Kirstin Klein was 0 for 1 with two walks and a run.

Track and field

Illinois Central Eight Conference Meet: Wilmington finished in second place on the girls side of the Illinois Central Eight Conference meet in Herscher on Thursday with 114 points, trailing only Lisle (147.5). Coal City was third (82.5), Herscher was fourth (77.5), Manteno was fifth (77), Reed-Custer was sixth (75) and Peotone was eighth (52).

A pair of freshmen stood out with multiple golds on the girls side. Wilmington’s McKenna Van Tilburg took first place in the 100 m (12.35 s), 200 m (25.84 s), 100 m hurdles (15.38 s) and 300 m hurdles (45.34 s). Manteno’s Klarke Goranson took first in the 800 m (2:22.40), 1,600 m (5:05.88) and 3,200 m (11:01.80). Also for Manteno, freshman Sophia Most took gold in the discus (35.90 m).

Reed-Custer had Alyssa Wollenzien took first in the high jump (1.52 m), Sophia Burciaga won the pole vault (3.35 m) and Kaitlyn Lantka won the triple jump (9.42 m). Herscher’s Kelly O’Connor won the 400 m (1:02.38) and the 4x400 relay (4:32.24) along with Fabienne Houberg, Leia Haubner and Brandi Palmateer.

Coal City had Ella Wills take first in the long jump (4.63 m) and Peotone had Terrynn Clott take first in the shot put (10.07 m).

On the boys side, Coal City placed second (117) behind Streator (141.5). Herscher took a close third (116), Manteno was fourth (94), Wilmington was sixth (55.5), Reed-Custer was seventh (49) and Peotone was eighth (39).

Coal City’s Julian Micetich took first in the 110 m hurdles (15.28 s) and 300 m hurdles (41.94 s) while Keaton Berta won the shot put (12.98 m) and Reese Fitzpatrick took the discus (39.67 m).

Herscher’s boys distance runners were strong again with Jeremy Szepelak winning the 800 m (2:06.18), Brayden Shepard winning the 1,600 m (4:40.55) and Owen Damptz winning the 3,200 m (11:05.93).

Manteno had Briggs Cann win the 400 m (52.04 s) and the 4x400 relay (3:36.09) with Ethan Tudor, Hayden Palka and Caden Reiter.

Vermilion Valley Conference Meet: Four area athletes combined for five first place finishes at the Vermilion Valley Conference Meet on Thursday. Three of those athletes were on the girls side.

Milford-Cissna Park’s Addison Lucht took gold in both the long jump (5.24 m) and triple jump (10.50 m). Watseka’s Megan Martin won the shot put (10.93 m) and Iroquois West’s Phylicity Leonard took first in the discus (31.88 m).

Watseka place fourth as a team on the girls side (41 points). Iroquois West was sixth (26) and Milford-Cissna Park tied for seventh (25).

On the boys side, Watseka placed seventh (36), Iroquois West placed ninth (22) and Milford-Cissna Park placed 10th (20). Watseka’s Andrew McTaggart took gold in the 3,200 m (10:43.32).

SouthWest Suburban Girls Conference Meet: Bradley-Bourbonnais placed eight as a team (9 points) in the SouthWest Suburban Girls Conference Meet hosted by Lockport on Thursday.

Girls soccer

Lincoln-Way Central 9, Bradley-Bourbonnais 0: No individual stats were immediately available for the Boilermakers (8-14, 0-7 SWSC) from their road loss Thursday in SouthWest Suburban Conference play.

Lisle 5, Reed-Custer 2: The Comets (8-6, 3-4 ICE) took an Illinois Central Conference loss at home Thursday. No individual stats were immediately available.

Ottawa 6, Wilmington 1: The regular season came to a close for the Wildcats (5-9) with a nonconference loss at home Thursday. No individual stats were immediately available.