Roundup: Sterling clinches share of Western Big 6 title

The Sterling volleyball team rolled to a Western Big 6 road win Tuesday night in East Moline, defeating United Township 25-8, 25-10 to clinch at least a share of the conference crown.

Brook and Bree Borum had nine kills each, and Bree added 13 assists and two blocks for the Golden Warriors (20-1, 12-1), who can claim the league title outright with a win over Rock Island on Thursday at Musgrove Fieldhouse.

Grace Egan and Kierra Collins each spiked three kills, and Riley Dittmar added two kills, an ace and nine assists.

Milledgeville def. AFC 25-12, 25-11: The Missiles rolled to a two-set NUIC win in Ashton.

Rylee Matthews, Alyssa Mertz, Grace Jakobs, Liliana Smith and Lydia Faulkner all had two kills for Milledgeville. Mertz added nine digs, five aces and five assists, and Adriana Miller had nine digs and two aces. Faulkner also had three blocks and two aces, and Carissa Hubbard chipped in seven digs.

Brittney Mundell led the Raiders with nine digs, two kills, two aces and a block. Jessica Milligan dished four assists, and Madison Runkle added two digs, a kill and an ace.

Dakota def. Eastland 25-16, 25-16: The Cougars dropped an NUIC match on the road.

Karlie Krogman had four kills and a block, and Natalie Hughes had 14 assists and an ace for Eastland (17-3). Addison Burkholder added 12 digs.

Baseball

Dixon 12, Rock Island 8: The Dukes rallied for eight runs in the final two innings – five in the sixth and three in the seventh – to win their season opener in Rock Island.

Gage Burdick singled and tripled, scored twice and drove in four runs for Dixon (1-0), while Andrew Pollom had a double, two singles and two RBIs. Eli Dever drove in three runs, and Ethan Van Horn scored three runs and added an RBI.

Van Horn (1-0) pitched three innings and picked up the win in relief of starter Burdick, and freshman Max Clark pitched the final two innings. The trio combined to allow eight runs (for earned) and five hits, with 11 strikeouts and nine walks.

Dixon held early leads of 1-0 and 3-2, but the Rocks scored four runs in the second and two in the third to take an 8-4 lead.

Girls soccer

Geneseo 4, Dixon 3: The Maple Leafs scored the winning goal with 20 seconds remaining as the Duchesses suffered their first loss of the season on the road.

Taylor Harrison had a goal and an assist, and Abby Goff and Emma Evans also scored goals for Dixon (1-1), Paige Stees added an assist, and Abby Provo made 10 saves in goal.

DeKalb 5, Sterling 1: Senior Ellie Gasso scored the Golden Warriors’ first goal of the season, but they fell to 0-2 with a nonconference road loss.

Senior Hailey Walters assisted on Gasso’s goal, and classmate Jessica White made 16 saves in goal for Sterling.