SVM area roundup: Sterling’s Brecken Peterson 2nd, Newman’s Logan Palmer 4th on final day of 1A Rochelle tennis sectional

Sterling’s Brecken Peterson finished second and Newman’s Logan Palmer finished fourth on Day 2 of the Class 1A Rochelle Sectional on Saturday. Both qualified for next weekend’s state tennis meet on their Friday singles performances.

Peterson defeated Sycamore’s Steven Chen 6-2, 6-0 in the semifinals, then fell to Alleman’s Nicholas Patrick 6-0, 6- in the title match. Patrick downed Palmer 6-0, 6-0 in the semifinals, then Palmer lost to Chen 6-2, 6-1 in the third-place match.

Sterling took third as a team with 16 points, Newman finished fifth with eight points, and Dixon came in ninth with two points. Geneseo took the team title with 26 points, while Alleman nabbed the runner-up spot with 21 points.

Baseball

Rockford Christian 5, Rock Falls 4 (8 inn.): The Royal Lions pushed the winning run across in the bottom of the eighth inning to top Rock Falls in a hard-fought Class 2A Oregon Regional championship.

The Rockets led 4-2 going into the bottom of the sixth, but Rockford Christian tied the game with a two-out, two-run single. After the Royal Lions doubled in the bottom of the seventh, Kuitim Heald came on in relief and recorded a strikeout to send the game to extra innings.

Rock Falls got the first two runners on in the top of the eighth, then moved them over to second and third with a two-strike sacrifice bunt. But a ground ball to first turned into a force out at home, then after a walk to load the bases, a long fly ball was caught by the Lions to end the inning.

Rockford Christian won it in the bottom of the inning. The leadoff batter reached base, then was bunted over to second. A sinking line drive with one out fell for a walk-off RBI hit.

Fulton 11, Forreston 3: The Steamers got the edge with a four-run first inning, then pulled away from the Cardinals with a six-run fifth in the Class 1A Regional final win.

AJ Boardman, Ethan Price and QJ Mangelsen had two hits each to lead Fulton; Boardman and Price both had two RBIs. Boardman and Mangelsen both hit a triple.

Reed Owen pitched six innings for the Steamers, allowing three unearned runs on four hits, striking out five with five walks; James Crimmins pitched one inning of scoreless, hitless relief, striking out one with one walk.

Owen Greenfield had two hits and Brendan Greenfield had two RBIs for Forreston.

Softball

Marengo 8, Oregon 3: Ella Dannhorn hit a home run as Oregon came up short in the Class 2A Oregon Regional championship.

Lily Kunzer pitched and scored three times to lift Marengo to the victory.

Girls soccer

Boylan 7, Dixon 0: The Duchesses lost in the regional title game to end their season at 12-8.

Maddy McLane made 12 saves in goal for Dixon.