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CHILLICOTHE – Giving up a costly three runs in the bottom of the fifth inning, the Hall Red Devils lost to Peoria Notre Dame 4-1 Wednesday evening in the Class 2A Illinois Valley Central Sectional semifinal played on the new turf in Chillicothe.
Hall junior pitcher Isaac Zrust recorded six strikeouts and, with help from his defense, held Peoria Notre Dame to one run through four innings.
The Red Devils’ bats were slow to start, however, recording just four hits – three of them coming late in the game. Hall shortstop Max Bryant smacked the ball off the center field fence for a triple and was batted in by left fielder Jack Jablonski in the top of the sixth for the Red Devils’ only run.
Jablonski recorded two hits for Hall, with Isaac Zrust and Max Bryant each recording one.
Just minutes after a tough loss, Zrust showed gratitude for his teammates and the season the Red Devils put together.
“Day in and day out, this team has worked hard to prepare,” he said. “Shout out to our seniors for helping us as a really young team; they were great leaders and showed us what Hall Red Devils Baseball is all about.”
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Senior Joel Koch had some wise words for the younger players.
“Play every game as if it was your last,” Koch said after his last game in a Hall uniform.
Describing the loss as a tough one to digest, Red Devils coach Tom Keegan noted the fateful bottom of the fifth inning was an obstacle his ballclub just couldn’t overcome.
“We realistically could still be playing if we hadn’t given up that three-spot,” Keegan said before thanking his seniors for their time, effort and contributions to the program.
Hall finishes the season with a 20-10 record after winning its second consecutive Class 2A regional championship, fifth since the 2017 season, sixth under Keegan and 11th in Red Devils baseball history.
Peoria Notre Dame – now 20-10 itself – moves on to the sectional championship game against Illini West scheduled for Saturday at IVC. First pitch is scheduled for 2 p.m.