Area roundup: Newman baseball tops Sterling to open season

The Newman baseball team opened the season with a 6-2 win over Sterling on Tuesday night, in a game played on the turf at TBK Bank Sports Complex in Bettendorf, Iowa, due to unplayable field conditions in Sterling.

The Comets took a 2-0 lead in the top of the third, stretched it to 3-0 in the top of the fifth, then answered Sterling’s two-run bottom of the fifth with three runs in the top of the sixth.

Kyle Wolfe was 3-for-4 with three RBIs to lead Newman at the plate, and he also allowed two earned runs and six hits in five innings, striking out three and walking one. Nolan Britt had an RBI and scored two runs, Brendan Tunink and Ethan Van Landuit also drove in runs, and Brennan Cook scored twice. Tunink didn’t allow a hit or walk and struck out two in two innings of relief.

Colt Adams went 3-for-3 and scored a run for the Golden Warriors, and Ethan Janssen had a single, a double and both RBIs; Daylen Stage scored the other run. Blake Nettleton started and gave up two earned runs and two hits in three innings, striking out five and walking four. Adams gave up four runs and four hits in 2 2/3 innings of relief, striking out three and walking three.

Warren 10, Oregon 5: A five-run fifth inning wasn’t enough as the Hawks dropped their first game of the season, falling behind 4-0 after the top of the first inning.

Josh Crandall drove in two runs and scored another, and Gabe Eckerd added an RBI for Oregon, while Jackson Werren doubled and scored. Miley Smith took the loss, allowing seven runs (four earned) and seven hits in 2 1/3 innings, striking out four and walking two.

Milledgeville 7, Dakota 2: The Missiles opened the season with an NUIC crossover victory, taking control with a four-run first before stretching the lead to 6-1 through two innings.

Kieren Harris struck out 12 and walked just two in six innings, allowing two runs (one earned) and three hits in six innings. Connor Nye struck out all three hitters in a perfect 1-2-3 seventh for Milledgeville.

Ashton Nobis was 3-for-4, finishing a home run shy of the cycle with two runs and two RBIs, and Izaac Toms-Smith went 2-for-3 with three runs scored. Harris also drove in two runs, and Dimetri Garza and Cayden Akers each had an RBI.

Forreston 6, Lena-Winslow 1: The Cardinals tacked onto an early 2-0 lead with a four-run third inning to open the season with a win at home.

Tommy Appel had two hits and scored twice, Owen Greenfield and Brendan Greenfield each had two hits and an RBI, and Noah Johnson drove in a pair of runs for Forreston. Dylan Greenfield, Logan Dyson and Owen Greenfield combined to allow zero earned runs and just four hits, striking out 12 and walking six.

Softball

Oregon 16, River Ridge-Scales Mound 4, 5 inn.: Liz Mois went 4-for-4 with an RBI, and Gracen Pitts drove in four runs to lead the Hawks to victory in their season opener, played at Dillehay Park in Mt. Morris.

Mois had a ground-rule double, and Pitts ripped a triple for Oregon. Ella Dannhorn stole four bases and scored three runs, and Lena and Mia Trampel combined to strike out nine.

Lena Trampel started and struck out five in three innings, and Mia Trampel notched four Ks in two innings of relief.

Forreston 9, Lena-Winslow 6: The Cardinals won the first game of the season at home, scoring two runs in each of the first three innings before adding three more in the fifth.

Kara Erdmann tripled, homered and drove in a run, and Rylee Broshous had a single, double and two RBIs for Forreston. Hailey Greenfield had two hits and two RBIs, Jenna Greenfield went 3-for-4, and Brooke Boettner added a double for the Cardinals. Erdmann went the distance in the circle, striking out 12 with a walk while giving up six runs and six hits.

Girls soccer

Oregon 4, Galena 0: The Hawks started their season with a shutout of the Pirates at Oregon Park West.

Alyssa Mowry and Mya Engelkes both had a goal and an assist, and Kenna Wubbena and Gracie Prose also scored goals. Karina Ocampo and Hadley Lutz both dished assists.

Kaneland 8, Sterling 0: The Golden Warriors lost their home opener to the Knights at Roscoe Eades Stadium.

Boys basketball

Locals named to IBCA all-state teams: Several local boys basketball players earned spots on the Illinois Basketball Coaches Association All-State teams.

Newman senior Marcus Williams and Eastland senior Kellen Henze were both first-team picks in Class 1A, and Fulton’s Baylen Damhoff was a second-team selection.

Dixon senior Jacob Gaither was a third-team selection in Class 3A, and Sterling junior JP Schilling was named special mention. Bureau Valley’s Carter Salisbury was a special mention selection in 2A.

There were also plenty of other selections of note: in 1A, Scales Mound’s Benjamin Vandigo was on the first team, while St. Bede’s Paul Hart, East Dubuque’s Dawson Feyen, and Scales Mound’s Colin Fosler were second-teamers. South Beloit’s Ross Robertson, Pecatonica’s Hunter Hoffman, and Scales Mound’s Ben Werner were special mention picks in 1A.

In Class 2A, Rockford Lutheran’s Walt Hill Jr. and Rockridge’s Nate Henry were first-team picks, Kewanee’s Niko Powe and Princeton’s Grady Thompson were third-teamers, and Lutheran’s Garrett Bertrand and Riverdale’s Brandon Stone were named special mention.

Rock Island’s Amarion Nimmers was a second-teamer in 3A, while Geneseo’s Bristol Lewis was on the third team, and Rock Island’s Marieon Anderson, Galesburg’s Koen Derry, and Rochelle’s Ryan Simmons were on the special mention list.

Wrestling

Three Rivers names its all-conference team: Eight local wrestlers warned spots in the Three Rivers all-conference first team, with four more on the second team and six earning honorable mention honors.

Newman has three first-teamers in sophomores Brady Grennan (120 pounds) and Carter Rude (126) and senior Will Rude (138), while Erie-Prophetstown had four wrestlers named to the first team in freshman Wyatt Goossens (113), junior Jase Grunder (145), and seniors Andrew Bomlney (195) and Elijah Friedrichsen (285). Morrison senior Kayden White (182) was also a first-team pick.

Newman had a trio of second-teamers in freshmen Briar Ivey (113) and Daniel Kelly (132) and senior Mason Glaudel (152). Morrison senior Nate Schaefer (220) was also named to the second team.

Honorable mention selections were Morrison sophomore Camden Pruis (126) and freshman Donny Reavy (138), Newman sophomore Brendan Tunink (145) and junior Hunter Luyando (170), and Erie-Prophetstown sophomore Luke Otten (182) and senior Nick Ballard (220).