The Times Area Roundup: WFC, Seneca softball advance to regional title games

The Woodland/Flanagan-Cornell softball team started the postseason with a bang on Wednesday. The Warriors scored seven runs in the first, then added eight in the third to top Garnder-South Wilmington 16-0 in four innings in the 1A Dwight Regional semifinals.

Jaylei Leininger paced WFC (18-10) with two singles, a triple and three RBIs. Kortney Harms had two hits, Cloee Johnston (three RBIs) tripled, and Cheyenne Burns and Clara Downey each doubled. Ella Derossett drove in a pair of runs. Harms (4 IP, 1 H, 2 BB, 3 K) earned the pitching triumph.

WFC now plays the host Trojans at 11 a.m. on Saturday in the championship contest.

Seneca 4, Peotone 1: At the 2A Coal City Regional semifinals, Fighting Irish pitcher Tessa Krull scattered seven hits, walked one and struck out 13 in the victory over the Blue Devils.

Neely Hougas homered, Audry McNabb tripled, and Sam Vandevelde, Lexie Buis and Krull all doubled for Seneca (23-8-1). Kennedy Hartwig and Camryn Stecken each drove in a run.

Seneca now faces the host Coalers at 4:30 p.m. Friday in the championship game.

Regina Dominican 3, Somonauk/Hinckley-Big Rock/Leland 2: At the 2A Richmond-Burton Regional semifinals, the Panthers scored two runs in the bottom of the fifth to slip past the Bobcats.

Haley McCoy doubled for S/H-BR/L (9-12), while Bre VerCautren, Abby Hohmann and Taylor Johnson singled. VerCautren (6 IP, 6 H, 3 ER, 2 BB, 12 K) took the loss in the circle.

Walther Christian 5, Earlville 0: At the 1A Serena Regional semifinals, the Red Raiders had their season end with the loss to the Broncos.

Ottawa 2, Geneseo 0: At King Field, Pirates pitcher McKenzie Oslanzi scattered three hits, walked one and struck out 11 in the complete-game shutout of the Maple Leafs.

Ottawa (22-5), which scored one run in the first and fourth, was led at the plate by two hits each by Maura Condon and Oslanzi. Kendall Lowery and Aubrey Sullivan posted RBIs.

BASEBALL

Geneseo 4, Ottawa 0: At King Field, the visiting Maple Leafs scored one run in the sixth and three in the seventh in the win over the Pirates (16-16).

Julian Alexander had two singles, and Rylan Dorsey doubled for Ottawa’s three hits. Dorsey (6 2/3 IP, 5 H, 3 ER, 3 BB, 6 K) took the loss, with Payton Knoll coming on to record the final out.

Morris 5, Streator 2: At the SHS Athletic Fields, the Bulldogs dropped to 18-11-1 on the season with the loss to Morris.

Parker Phills, Adam Williamson and Christian Benning each had two hits, while Brady Grabowski and Landon Muntz recorded RBIs. Starter Jake Hagie (5 IP, 3 ER, 4 K) took the loss, with Phillis (2 IP, 1 ER, 3 K) finishing up.

Joliet Catholic 3, Seneca 0: At the 2A Coal City Regional semifinals, the Fighting Irish closed out the season with a hard-fought loss to the defending 2A state champs.

Calvin Maierhofer had two singles for Seneca (18-9) with Zack Sulzberger also adding a hit. Paxton Giertz (6 IP, 5 H, 3 ER, 3 BB, 4 K) suffered the pitching loss.

BOYS TRACK AND FIELD

Seneca second at own 1A sectional: Seneca had eight athletes qualify for the state meet and scored 87 points to finish second to Chicago Christian (91) at the 1A Seneca Sectional. Newark had 42 points to tie for fifth.

Winning sectional titles for Seneca were Chris Poyner (400-meter run, 52.77 seconds), Nathan Grant (high jump, 1.85 meters), Sam Churchill (pole vault, 3.86) and Collin Wright (long jump, 6.50). Alex Bogner-Kidwell finished second, but qualified in the shot put (13.76), while the 4X100 relay team of David Bergeson, Ryan Flynn, Churchill and Matt Stach placed fourth, but finished in a qualifying time to advance.

Newark’s Zach Carlson finished second and advanced in both the 400 (53.06) and high jump (1.85), while Logan Pasakarnis placed first in the 800 (2:06.04).

Marquette Academy’s Caden Eller (2nd, long jump, 6.37) and Somonauk’s Landin Stillwell (2nd, 3200, 10:23.90) also qualified for state.

Fieldcrest’s Krischel advances: Fieldcrest’s Caleb Krischel finished in third place in the 1600-meter run at the 1A El-Paso-Gridley Sectional, but finished a second better (4 minutes, 38.75 seconds) than qualifying time to punch his ticket to the state meet.