Newman falls 9-3 to Teutopolis, will play for third on Saturday

CHAMPAIGN — Two three-run innings were costly on Friday as Newman fell 9-3 to Teutopolis in the Class 2A state semifinals at Illinois Field.

The Wooden Shoes (30-5) took advantage of nine walks and Jason Kreke’s two-run home run in the sixth inning helped Teutopolis pull away.

The Comets (28-8-1) will face Eureka in Saturday’s third-place game at 4 p.m.

Garret Matznick was 3-for-3 and scored two runs for Newman. He pitched 4 1/3 innings in relief of Drake Cole, allowing five earned runs on six hits.

Teutopolis scored three times in the top of the second to make it 4-1 as Newman never led. It score three more times in the top of the fourth.

“They were hitting everything, really,” Matznick said. “They were finding holes. We had runners on, didn’t really find holes when we had our turn.”

Newman had seven hits of its own, but just one in the last few innings. Caleb Deters struck out Ashton Miner with the bases loaded in the fourth inning. Newman reached base just once after that.

“I don’t think we did that bad offensively, we just didn’t capitalize in some situations, which really changes the game,” Matznick said. “And swings momentum their way.”

Miner knocked in all three of Newman’s runs. His sacrifice tied the game 1-1 in the first inning.

Daniel Kelly said the team didn’t make the plays it had been making in its third straight run to state.

“We just didn’t play our best,” the catcher said. “I don’t think it was our best day, and that happens.

“Maybe it was the turf, maybe it’s us. Maybe we’re just complacent to be here. But we just didn’t do what we needed to do to win. And throwing balls isn’t going to help us win.”

The Wooden Shoes will face Sacred Heart-Griffin, a 6-5 winner over Eureka, in the 7 p.m. title game.

Newman scored its three runs against T-Town starting pitcher Davin Worman, but tallied only three hits and one walk against Deters.

“That’s a good baseball team,” Newman coach Kenny Koerner said. “They’re really well coached and they took advantage of everything early. We walked a guy, he scored. We didn’t cover first, he scored.”

Kreke finished 2 for 3 with three RBIs as seven different T-Town players had RBIs.

The Comets had a shot to answer in the fourth inning with the bases loaded, but Deter’s strikeout ended up being a key moment.

“We had a chance with our guy up and that’s all you can ask for,” Koerner said. “It didn’t work out.”

Evan Bushman will take the mound on Saturday after being ineligible on Friday after pitching a complete game in the supersectional.

The Comets still have a chance to improve on last year’s fourth-place finish.

“I thought Matznick did a nice job stepping in the team meeting afterwards, just saying, ‘let’s play for the seniors,’” Koerner said. “Not everybody plays the last day of the season. Let’s go out and win.”

“We just want to come out and win the last game of the year, send the seniors off with a good feeling to end the year.”

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Teutopolis’ Caleb Deters celebrates striking out Newman’s Chase Decker to end the game Friday, June 6, 2025, during the Class 2A state semifinal at Illinois Field in Champaign. (Alex T. Paschal)