The early innings were won by Streator.

The later innings were won by Hall.

And in the end, Thursday’s season opener for both ballclubs was won by ... nobody.

Hall and Streator played to a 9-9 tie Thursday evening at the SHS Athletic Fields, the visiting Red Devils rallying after falling behind by eight runs early and getting the tying run in top of the seventh and final inning on a Noah Plym RBI groundout to second, scoring Luke Bryant.

“Really, I just had to have a team at-bat,” Plym said of his game-tying RBI. “At that point, we didn’t need a big gap double. Just put the ball on the ground, and with Luke being as fast as he is, it probably scores a run.

“We had a lot of mistakes early, so obviously we can learn from that. We clean stuff up like that, save three, four runs and come out with the win next time.”

After scoring the tying run and seeing Streator reliever Keegan Gassman close out the inning with another groundout to second, Bryant took the mound in relief. One of nine pitchers to work on the day between the two teams as both coaching staffs looked to limit innings their first time out against live competition, Bryant stranded the potential walk-off run at third base thanks to a diving play/scoop to second from Plym at short.

The game, which clocked in at just over two and a half hours, was then called due to darkness.

“It was a good chance to get to see everybody – pitchers, hitters," Bulldogs coach Beau Albert said. “I wish we would have gotten the ‘W’ first time out, especially after having an 8-nothing lead, but it is what it is.

“It’s early spring baseball ... but I saw a lot of positive things.”

Hall’s Braden Curran was the game’s only player with multiple hits, going 2-for-3 with an RBI. Bryant (three runs scored), Plym, Greyson Bickett, Geno Ferrari, Jaxon Pinter and Jack Curran (two-run single in the sixth) also had runs batted in for the Red Devils (0-0-1), who fell behind 8-0 after two innings but chipped away by scoring at least once in the third, fourth, fifth, sixth and seventh innings.

“We just gave a lot of free, free, free in the first third of the game,” Hall coach Tom Keegan said. “Streator capitalized, to their credit, and I guess the mood in the dugout was if we could just get a couple holds in innings here and there, offensively string some things together. And that’s how it played out toward the end of the game.”

[ 2026 Hall baseball preview ]

Streator (0-0-1) got its offense going right away with four runs in the first and four more in the second. Cole Winterrowd and Joe Hoekstra each drove home a run in both of those innings to finish with two RBIs. Clay Christoff provided a two-run single in the second with Talon Melvin contributing the Bulldogs’ other run batted in with a first inning single. Leadoff man Keegan Angelico drew four walks and scored twice.

[ 2026 Streator baseball preview ]

Those eight runs looked as if they’d be plenty the way Bulldogs ace Christoff was dealing early on. The right-hander struck out seven over his three innings of work, finishing allowing two runs (one earned) on one hit and four bases on balls.

“I felt great on the mound right from the get-go,” Christoff said. “I got yanked early, but all in all I like how we played today. We did pretty good.”

Brennen Stillwell (0.2 IP, 2 ER, 1 K), Maddan McCloskey (1.2 IP, 4 ER, 2 K) and Gassman (1.2 IP, 0 ER, 2 K) also took the bump for the Bulldogs.

Starter Jaxon Pinter (0.2 IP, 4 ER, 1 K), Brody Bosi (1.1 IP, 4 ER, 1 K), Jimmie Jablonski (2 IP, 1 ER, 2 K), Jack Curran (2 IP, 0 R, 0 K) and Bryant (1 IP, 0 R, 1 K) did the pitching for Hall.

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Streator's Clay Cristoff hi-fives teammate Brennen Stillwell after scoring a run on Thursday, March 19, 2026 at Streator High School. (Scott Anderson)