Oglesby romps to District 20 Junior League title on home diamond

OGLESBY – Oglesby had been swinging the hot bat and pitching well throughout the District 20 Junior League (14U) Tournament, and Sunday afternoon against Ottawa it was no different.

Oglesby came away with the 12-0 victory to claim the championship in Oglesby and advance to the sub-state tournament, also hosted by Oglesby and scheduled for next weekend at Gandolfi Field.

“All tournament long this group of kids has been playing all-around solid ball,” Oglesby manager Luke Ferrari said. “They’ve put a lot of time in individually and as a team, and really have a chance to go far in this tournament when they’re playing well.”

Right out of the gates, Oglesby put the pressure on Ottawa when Gus Burr walked and Griffin May singled to center. Braylin Bond hit a sacrifice fly to left field to score Burr and give the Oglesby squad a 1-0 lead.

Ottawa’s Ethan Snell kept it there, as he backed up his first baseman when the ball got by the latter and ended the top of the first trailing only 1-0.

Unfortunately for Ottawa, that was all Oglesby would need. May was almost unhittable on the mound, making quick work of the Ottawa hitters with a pair of strikeouts in each of the first two innings.

Oglesby threatened in the second, but Grey Ernat lined to Kaden Konwinski, who fired to second for the double play to end the inning. But in the top of the third, Gino Ferrari reached on a fielder’s choice, and then Burr singled to left before May hit a sacrifice fly to left that scored Ferrari to make it a 2-0 game.

After May struck out all three batters in the bottom half, the Oglesby offense went back to work, pushing across three runs in the top of the fourth. Zach Prescott walked, and then Joel Lightle reached on a fielder’s choice before Ferrari hit an RBI double that scored Prescott.

That brought up Burr, who ripped an RBI double to right that scored Lightle and Ferrari to give Oglesby a 5-0 lead.

Both teams went down in order in the fifth. Then in the sixth, Oglesby added a pair of runs. Ernat started things off being hit by a pitch and stole second before Lightle hit an RBI single to left to score Ernat and make it a 6-0 contest. Ferrari made it 7-0 with a sacrifice fly to left that scored Lightle.

In the bottom half of the inning, Ottawa had its best chance to score. Jack Carroll picked up an infield single for his team’s first hit of the game. Brendyn Fuchs then picked up Ottawa’s second hit to put two on with no outs, but May and the Oglesby defense slammed the door shut and kept Ottawa scoreless.

Oglesby added some insurance runs in the seventh. May ripped a single to left and stole second, which then brought up Carson Riva, who made it 8-0 with an RBI single that scored May. An error by Konwinski allowed Bond to score and push the lead to 9-0. That brought up Ernat next, who picked up an RBI single that was followed by RBI singles from Hunter Sale and Ferrari to extend the lead to 12-0, which is where the score would end up.

“We hung in there pretty good for the most part after being blown out the first time we played them,” Ottawa manager Ryan Fuchs said. “From where we were at the start of the tournament to where we finished, I couldn’t be any prouder of these guys and how we played. Oglesby is just a very good all-around team.”

For Ottawa, Fuchs and Carroll had the only hits of the game. Oglesby was led by Ferrari, Burr, May and Ernat, all with two hits each. Ferrari led with three RBIs, while Burr added two.