Roundup: Dixon, Sterling baseball teams close regular season with road wins

The Dixon baseball team defeated DeKalb 12-4 in its regular-season finale on the road Tuesday, scoring six runs in the fifth inning to pull away.

Ryan Pitzer had two doubles, four RBIs and two runs, and Jacob Gaither and Griffey Rodriguez each added two singles and two RBIs for the Dukes (14-2), with Rodriguez scoring twice. Beau Evans scored three runs, and Andrew Pollom and Ethan Van Horn also drove in runs for Dixon.

Gaither (1-0) picked up the win on the mound as one of four Dixon pitchers who combined to allow four runs (two earned) and nine hits, with 18 strikeouts and three walks. Gaither had six Ks, and Gage Burdick and Pollom each struck out five.

Sterling 8, St. Bede 4: The Golden Warriors scored four runs in the top of the seventh to break a 4-4 tie in a nonconference road win.

Blake Nettleton doubled and drove in three runs for Sterling, which trailed 4-0 until tying the game with a four-run fourth inning. Noel Aponte had two singles, two RBIs and two runs, and Ryan Heffelfinger doubled and scored twice. Garrett Polson had two hits and an RBI, and Dale Guerreri and Carter Stingley also drove in runs.

Heffelfinger got the win in relief of Guerreri, and Polson pitched the seventh. Guerreri allowed four earned runs and seven hits in five innings, striking out seven and walking two, while Heffelfinger and Polson combined to allow one hit in two shutout innings, striking out three and walking three.

Amboy 15, Milledgeville 14: The Clippers scored in the bottom of the seventh to pull out an NUIC win over the Missiles.

Amboy scored three runs in the third, nine in the fourth and two in the fifth, banging out eight hits and overcoming six errors. Preston Henkel had two hits, two RBIs and scored three runs, while Rogers added two hits, three RBIs and two runs. Ian Eller, Joe Ackert and Jairon Hochstatter also drove in runs, and Ackert and Andruw Jones both scored twice. Tucker Lindenmeyer got the win in relief.

Milledgeville scored four runs in the first and third, and three each in the fifth and sixth, finishing with 10 hits and four errors. Treyton Selman had three hits, three RBIs and two runs, Ashton Nobis singled, doubled, drove in a run and scored three times, and Noah Newstrand and Cody VanDyke both had two RBIs.

Byron 4, Eastland 1: Drew Burkholder drove in the Cougars’ lone run in the first inning in a loss on the road, as Byron scored three runs in the third inning to take the lead.

Carson Witt took the loss on the mound in relief of Burkholder.

Softball

Ottawa 3, Sterling 2, 11 inn.: The Golden Warriors scored in the sixth inning to tie a road game, but fell short five innings later.

Amayia Hernandez singled twice, doubled, drove in a run and scored a run for Sterling, and Jordyn Bryant had two hits. Elizabeth Palumbo allowed two runs (one earned) and five hits in 10 innings, striking out 16 and walking one. Sierra Stingley took the loss, getting one out in the 11th.

Zoe Harris had the walk-off RBI for the Pirates.

SMRR 11, West Carroll 9: The Thunder scored six runs in the top of the seventh, but it wasn’t enough to overcome Scales Mound-River Ridge’s nine-run fifth inning.

Madison Magill had three doubles, a single and three RBIs, while Emily Watkins had a single, two doubles and two RBIs for West Carroll (6-9, 5-3 NUIC West). Lacey Eissens had a single, double and RBI, Alee Schleuning had a pair of singles, and Tori Moshure doubled and drove in a run. Kendal Asay pitched four innings and suffered the loss.

Girls soccer

Oregon 4, Monmouth-Roseville 1: Leah Watters had a goal and two assists to lead the Hawks to victory in a Class 1A regional semifinal at Oregon Park West.

Alyssa Mowry added a goal and an assist, and Mya Engelkes and Hadley Lutz also scored goals for Oregon, which advanced to the regional final at Peoria Christian on Friday.

Boys track & field

Dixon wins 5-team meet in Oregon: The Dukes scored 128 points to top host Oregon (111 points), Winnebago (70), Byron (52) and Mendota (4) in a meet at Landers-Loomis Field.

Dixon got wins from Jacksen Ortgiesen in the 400 (55.74 seconds), Isiah Kuehl in the 1,600 (4:56.49), Brock Drengenberg in the 3,200 (9:41.36), Skyler Connolly in the 300 hurdles (43.54) and Dre Jackson in the shot put (14.19 meters).

Oregon had a pair of double-winners in Isaac Reber (100 in 11.56, 200 in 23.93) and Joey Gelander (long jump in 5.99 meters, triple jump in 12.11 meters). Also winning for the Hawks were Ryan Hussung in the 800 (2:10.66), Daniel Dominguez in the discus (45.00 meters), and Riley Benton in the pole vault (3.81 meters).

Clippers 4th at Pecatonica: Amboy-LaMoille scored 57 points to finish fourth at a nine-team meet hosted by Durand-Pecatonica. Galena-East Dubuque-River Ridge won with 205 points, followed by host Du-Pec (199.5) and Lena-Winslow (93). West Carroll finished fifth (46) and Milledgeville-Eastland took sixth (34).

Brock Loftus was a double-winner for the Clippers, taking the 1,600 (4:47.86) and the 3,200 (10:05.17). Kyler McNinch took second in the 800 (2:17.36), while Ian Sundberg was third in the discus (35.08 meters) and Ben Henrikson was third in the long jump (5.24 meters).

Briar Nevills had West Carroll’s top finish, placing second in the 3,200 (10:20.09); he also took third in the 1,600 (4:54.68). Zaiden Smith added a third in the 400 (58.51 seconds).

The Missiles got runner-up finishes from Kacen Johnson in the 200 (24.43 seconds) and Kolten Wilk in the long jump (5.38 meters).

Wrestling

Oregon sweeps at home: The Hawks defeated Newman 45-18 and Amboy 54-12 in a triangular at the Blackhawk Center. Newman downed Amboy 32-18 in the other dual.

Seth Stevens (145 pounds) and Jonathon Alaniz (285) both won by pin and decision for Oregon. Gabe Eckerd (160) and Adam Glendenning (220) both added pins against Newman, while Jared Glendenning (132) won a decision against Amboy.

Newman’s wins against Amboy were a pin by Brady Grennan (120), a major decision by Carter Rude (132) and a decision by Quinten Williams (170). Will Rude notched a pin at 138 for the Comets’ lone contested win against Oregon.

Amboy got pins from Dan Binn (152) and Justin Wicaryus (285) against Newman, and a pin from Levi Near (113) against Oregon.