Ottawa baseball wins on senior day; Sandwich baseball survives in 2A playoffs: The Times Monday Roundup

Baseball

Ottawa 7, Plano 3 (5 inn.): At King Field, the host Pirates soaked in a rain-shortened, senior-day victory over the Reapers to improve to 14-16 on the spring.

Ottawa scored all seven of its runs over the final two innings played, led by Jackson Mangold’s single, double and four RBIs. Seniors Cam Loomis and Jack Henson (two hits) each doubled and drove in one, with Colin Fowler adding a single and an RBI in support of senior starter Alex Billings (2 IP, 2 ER, 1 K) and winning reliever/senior Tate Wesbecker (3 IP, 0 R, 2 K), who allowed only one Plano hit.

Sandwich 6, Rockford Christian 3: In the quarterfinals of the Class 2A Marengo Regional, host Sandwich (18-14) triumphed in the play-in to earn a Thursday semifinal date with Stillman Valley.

The Indians led throughout, with winning pitcher Tyler Lissman (6+ IP, 3 ER, 6 K) holding Rockford Christian scoreless until the sixth and handing the ball to Braden Behringer (1 IP, 0 R, 1 K) for the save. Chance Lange singled, doubled and drove home three Sandwich runs. Behringer added two singles and an RBI, with Nick Michalek also knocking two hits.

Postseason postponements: Numerous area playoff openers were rained out Monday and moved to 4:30 p.m. Tuesday first pitches, including Fieldcrest at Farmington in the 2A Peoria Notre Dame Regional, Earlville at Indian Creek in the 1A Ashton-Franklin Center Regional, and Somonauk at Newark in the 1A Serena Regional.

Woodland/Flanagan-Cornell’s game in the Class 1A Roanoke-Benson Regional has also been moved to Tuesday, but will be a 6 p.m. start on the new turf at Illinois Valley Central High School in Chillicothe.

Softball

Harvest Christian 7, Earlville 6: In the quarterfinals of the Class 1A Indian Creek Regional, the Red Raiders (2-10) saw their season ended with a one-run defeat.

Addie Scherer struck out eight would-be hitters and was 2 for 2 with a run batted in for Earlville. Bailey Miller provided three singles and an RBI of her own.

Hall 3, Fieldcrest 2 (8 inn.): In the quarterfinals of the Class 2A Hall Regional, the visiting Knights (2-17) led 2-0 after one inning but saw the Red Devils tie it in the third and win it in the eighth.

Aliah Celis singled and drove in a run for Fieldcrest, TeriLynn Timmerman tapped two hits, and Keara Barisch (7 2/3 IP, 3 ER, 2 K) wound up with the hard-luck pitching loss.

Postseason postponement: Somonauk/Leland’s quarterfinal against Regina Dominican in the Class 2A Aurora Central Catholic Regional has been postponed to Tuesday because of poor field conditions.

Boys tennis

Ottawa 4, Mendota 1: At the Henderson-Guenther Courts, host Ottawa earned the victory over its old NCIC rival.

Scoring triumphs for the Pirates in doubles were the teams of Evan Krafft and Alan Sifuentes at No. 1 (6-0, 6-0); Cayden Walter and Landon Sawin at No. 2 (6-4, 6-0); and Tucker Ditchfield and Ayden Sexton at No. 3 (6-1, 6-1).

In singles, Eli Jeppson won at No. 2 (6-4, 4-6, 10-8), and Kaden Araujo was beaten at No. 1 (7-6[4], 6-3).