LOCAL ROUNDUP: Newman baseball falls on Princeton’s walk-off rally

The Newman baseball team saw a pair of five-run leads disappear in a 10-9 loss in Princeton on Thursday.

The Comets led 5-0 after the top of the second, then answered with a four-run fifth after the Tigers had pulled within 5-4 through four innings.

But the Tigers scored three runs in the bottom of the fifth, then three more in the the seventh for the walk-off win, with Bennett Sierens scoring the winning run when Owen Rossler was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded.

Nolan Britt scored three runs, and Kyle Wolfe, Ethan Van Landuit, Brennen Cook and Kory Mullen all had RBIs for the Comets (11-5), who stole seven bases, took eight bases on wild pitches, and scored four runs on wild pitches.

“We didn’t know if we could string hits together,” Newman coach Kenny Koerner said. “I know their lefty [Ean Compton] they threw to start the game is really good, so we thought we’d try to generate some things and maybe get him off his game a little bit because he’s so tough to hit. We did go in thinking we’d be aggressive if we got a guy on and try to steal a run.

“I thought we hit well enough to win, but we didn’t field well enough and didn’t throw the ball to the right bases at times. I’m happy with the effort. We just have to tighten some things up late in the game.”

Blake Wolfe started and allowed seven runs – four earned – and nine hits in 4 1/3 innings, with eight strikeouts and two walks. Jake Ackman suffered the loss in relief, allowing three earned runs and three hits in two innings, with three strikeouts and four walks.

Dixon 15, North Boone 0, 5 inn.: Jacob Gaither drove in three runs, homering and going 2-for-3 at the plate in a Dukes win over the Vikings.

Eli Dever also hit a home run for Dixon. Dever, Andrew Pollom and Ryan Pitzer each drove in two runs.

Pollom pitched four innings and allowed one hit, striking out five and walking one.

Rock Falls 15, Rockford Lutheran 1: The Rockets turned a close game into a Big Northern blowout by scoring four runs in the fifth inning, three in the sixth and six in the seventh.

Luke Akerman had four RBIs, and Dillon Schueler drove in two runs. Victor Rivera had a single and a double, and Rock Falls also got RBIs from Chase Chappell, Gavin Sands, Isaiah Kobbeman, Connor Mullan and Drew Ebersole.

Chappell allowed just two hits and one unearned run in six innings, striking out nine. Sands struck out one in a hitless, scoreless seventh.

Moline 10, Sterling 0, 5 inn.: The Maroons shut out the Golden Warriors in the Quad Cities.

Noel Aponte, Ryan Heffelfinger, JD Hall and Garrett Polson all hit singles, Sterling’s only four hits of the game.

Hall pitched four innings and allowed seven runs – four earned – on six hits.

Forreston 14, Milledgeville 4: A seven-run fourth inning helped the Cardinals down the Missiles. That broke open what had been a tie game after Milledgeville scored four runs in the top of that inning.

Chase Sarber and Logan Meiners both had RBIs for Milledgeville. Meiners and Treyton Selman both hit doubles.

Ashton Nobis struck out six in his three innings on the hill for Milledgeville.

Ryan Schoonhoven had three hits, including a double, and drove in three runs for the Cardinals.

Eastland 14, Amboy 1: The Cougars got off to a good start with a five-run first inning in a win over the Clippers.

Owen Rogers went 2-for-2 and scored four runs. Jaxson Sturtevant drove in two runs, including one on a sacrifice fly in the first. Carson Witt had two RBIs. Makel Cropper had a pair of hits and drove in two runs.

Drew Burkholder pitched three innings and struck out eight for the Cougars.

Preston Henkel pitched for Amboy and struck out five in 4 1/3 innings. Amboy’s run came in the fifth on an Ian Eller RBI single.

Fulton 4, Rockridge 1: The Steamers picked up a Three Rivers West win on the road.

SOFTBALL

Sterling splits with Moline: The Golden Warriors won one and lost one in a Western Big 6 doubleheader at Moline, losing the first game 1-0 and winning the second 7-1.

In Game 1, the Maroons scored in the bottom of the first and that lead held up.

Elizabeth Palumbo pitched six innings and held the Maroons to two hits, striking out one and walking two.

But Sterling could only manage three hits – doubles by Jordyn Bryant and Riley Dittmar and a single by Lauren Jacobs – and couldn’t get a run across.

In Game 2, Sterling got those runs and spread them out, scoring a run in the second, another in the third, two in the fifth and three in the sixth to take a 7-0 lead before Moline answered in the bottom of the sixth.

Dittmar hit a home run, Palumbo and Amayia Hernandez both tripled, and Jacobs went 3-for-4. Hannah Jacoby drove in two runs.

Ellie Leigh pitched five innings and allowed one run on four hits. Palumbo allowed no hits and no walks in two innings of relief.

Forreston 10, Milledgeville 0, 6 inn.: The Cardinals scored six runs in the fifth and added two more in the sixth in a win over the Missiles.

Kara Erdman struck out 13 and limited Milledgeville to two hits.

Rylee Broshous and Taylor Greenfield each had three hits for Forreston, with Greenfield driving in three runs.

Eastland 21, Amboy 7, 5 inn.: The Cougars won a wild one in Amboy.

The Clippers scored two runs in the first and three more in the second to take a 5-0 lead before Eastland put up a nine-run third inning. The Cougars scored three more in the fourth and another nine in the fifth.

Bailey Thede had a three-RBI day for Eastland. Chloe Waller tripled and went 2-for-5 with two RBIs. Karlie Krogman and Chloe Sweitzer also drove in two runs each.

Mallory Powers and Maeve Larson each drove in two runs for the Clippers.

Rockridge 13, Fulton 0: The Steamers could not hold off the Rockets.

Bri Anders and Faith Ottens each had a hit for Fulton.

TENNIS

Sterling 6, Rock Island 3: The Golden Warriors won six matches in straight sets in a win over the Rocks.

Brecken Peterson won 6-1, 6-0 at No. 1 singles, Connor Pham won 6-3, 6-4 at No. 2 singles, Carter Ryan won 6-0, 7-5 at No. 4 singles, and Carter Morris won the No. 6 singles match 6-4, 6-2.

In doubles play, Peterson and Kayden Loos won 6-1, 6-0 at No. 2, while Morris and Ben Boze won 6-3, 6-2 at No. 3.

Dixon 5, Princeton 0: The Dukes swept the Tigers with a strong showing on the road.

Lucas Healy won 6-2, 6-2, at No. 1 singles, and Landon Juckel won 6-0, 6-2 at No. 2.

Logan Moeller and Leith Elbzour won 6-1, 7-5 at No. 1 doubles, Owen Grot and Alex Ulrich won 6-2, 6-4 at No. 2, and Grant Boss and Bashar Elbzour pulled out a 4-6, 7-5, 10-8 win at No. 3.

BOYS TRACK & FIELD

Dixon 80, Geneseo 57: The Dukes won 10 individual events and two relays in a dual victory over the Maple Leafs at A.C. Bowers Field.

Skyler Connolly won the 110 hurdles (17.98 seconds), the 300 hurdles (45.57) and the pole vault (3.20 meters) to lead Dixon, while Dre Jackson won both the shot put (13.87 meters) and discus (38.73 meters).

On the track, Myles Nalley won the 100 (12.18), Rylan Ramsdell won the 200 (24.34), and Brock Drengenberg won the 400 (52.53). In the field, Drew Roby won the high jump (1.87 meters) and Tyler Shaner won the long jump (5.23 meters).

Michael Ross, Grant Jacobs, Shaner and Jameson Jeffery teamed up to win the 4x200 relay (1:41.73), and the quartet of Ethan Fox, Cadyn Grafton, Jericho Kirby and Drengenberg won the 4x400 (3:51.81).

Dixon’s girls also competed, but did so by themselves after Geneseo canceled to compete in the Western Big 6 Meet in Quincy.

GIRLS SOCCER

Geneseo 12, Sterling 0: The Golden Warriors lost a Western Big 6 game on the road.