Jacob Fogarty delivers walk-off winner for Pontiac over Prairie Central
Anybody familiar with the Pontiac-Prairie Central rivalry knows not to take anything for granted. Such was the case Thursday at The Ballpark at Williamson Field as No. 9 batter Jacob Fogarty delivered a walk-off single in the bottom of the 10th inning for a 7-6 PTHS victory in Illini Prairie Conference baseball.
Fogarty’s knock plated Nolan Mennenga, who had smacked a pinch-hit double right before. He ended up on third base on the play.
Although Fogarty’s hit was the highlight, it was only possible after the Amerinds scored four runs in the bottom of the seventh inning to force extra innings. Trailing 6-2 entering the home half of the seventh, PTHS was able to rally with three key hits. The biggest was Henry DeYoung’s two-out bases-loaded double that drove in Cayden Masching, Henry Brummel and Anderson Horning to tie the game.
Brett Holland lofted a sacrifice fly to get the Hawks on the board in the second inning. Prairie Central scored twice in the top of the fifth inning only to see Pontiac match that when Masching belted a two-run homer. The Hawks responded with three runs in the sixth as Collin Hartman, Caden Addis and Will Skala each drove in a run for a 6-2 lead.
DeYoung got the win on the bump after five innings of relief for Pontiac (7-12). He allowed three runs (two earned), five hits and a walk while fanning one. Zechariah Landstrom went the first 4 2/3 innings, allowing three runs (two earned) on three hits and six walks. Ryson Eilts closed out the fifth inning.
Masching collected a homer, double, two runs batted in and two runs scored to help pace the PTHS offense. Tommy Oestmann had three singles while Fogarty (RBI) and Eilts each singled twice. DeYoung had a double and three RBIs and Mennenga had a two-base hit.
Tyler Curl had two hits for Prairie Central (4-14). Skala had a hit and two runs batted in while Hartman had a double and drove in a run. Addis (RBI), JC Spence, Easton Friedman and Gavin Tredennick each singled. Brett Holland drove in two runs.
Brandon Holland took the loss in relief, giving up one run, five hits and striking out two in three innings. Addis went the first 6 1/3 innings, yielding six hits, six runs (one earned) and four walks. He sat down seven on strikes.
Manteno 10, Pontiac 6 – Manteno scored six runs late to top Pontiac in a nonconference tilt at The Ballpark at Williamson Field Wednesday. PTHS held a 5-4 lead before the Panthers scored six times in the top of the sixth. Horning took the loss in relief. Mennenga (2 Ks) started.
Brummel belted a homer among his three hits to lead the Pontiac offense. He drove in two runs. Hunter Wilson had a double, single and RBI and DeYoung doubled (RBI). Masching, Landstrom, Oestmann (RBI) and Mennenga singled.
Pontiac 8, Monticello 1 – At Monticello, Brummel struck out 16 on the bump and collected more hits on offense than he allowed pitching as PTHS handed Monticello its first loss of the season in an IPC contest on April 22. Brummel went 6 2/3 innings before giving way to Mason Schlosser, who fanned the only batter he faced.
Brummel had a double and three singles while driving in four runs to pace the offense. Masching had a double, single and run batted in while Fogarty had two hits. DeYoung had a double and two RBIs while Landstrom (2 RBIs) and Oestmann each singled.
On April 20, Morris topped the Amerinds 17-3. DeYoung (K) took the loss and Eilts (K) finished up. Eilts (RBI), Hunter Melvin, Wilson and Fogarty had hits.
PBL 6, Prairie Central 5 – At Fairbury, Paxton-Buckley-Loda pushed across the winning run in the top of the eighth inning for an IPC victory on April 22. Brandon Holland took the loss in relief, fanning two in three innings. Hartman struck out four in five innings.
Hartman had two hits and drove in two runs for the Hawks. Curl had a hit and two RBIs and Friedman, Spence and Chase Simpkins each singled.
On April 20, Prairie Central lost 20-1 and 18-2 to Lincoln. Curl had a hit and RBI in the opener. Tredennick also singled. Addis took the loss. In the second game, Friedman had two hits while Simkins doubled (RBI) and Spence, Addis and Hartman (RBI) each singled. Luke Ifft took the loss.
Dwight-Midland – Wyatt Statler went yard to walk off a 3-2 victory for Dwight in the back end of a home-and-home set against Midland on Thursday at DTHS. Statler’s homer led off the eighth inning and was the first run for the Trojans since scoring twice in the first frame.
Statler had three hits and Owen Dunlap collected a triple, single and drove in a run in leading the Dwight (13-8) offense. Luke Gallet and Evan Sandeno had two hits apiece.
On April 23, Gallet had a huge game with a home run, two doubles and four runs batted in as the Trojans took the first game of the home-and-home set. Dwight had eight extra-base hits. Joey Starks, who got the win on the hill with four strikeouts, had two doubles while Ryan Bumpous, Terry Wilkey and Tracer Brown each doubled.
Seneca 3, Dwight 1 – At Seneca, despite striking out eight, Gallet was the tough-luck loser in a Tri-County Conference loss to host Seneca on April 22. Gallet had two hits, including a double, while Dunlap (RBI) and Starks each singled.
On April 20, Wilkey started and got the win as DTHS used four hurlers in a 9-0 win over Newark. Wilkey fanned four and Drew Anderson struck out five in relief. Statler and Brown also pitched.
Starks had two doubles while Bumpous (RBI) had a double and single and Brown (RBI) had two hits. Statler tripled and Evan Cox doubled with each driving in a run. Tyler Cox (2 RBIs), Anderson and Asher Kargle each singled.
Lexington 2, LeRoy 0 – At LeRoy, Hayden Sennett lofted a sacrifice fly and Blaine Friedmansky drew a bases-loaded walk to provide the scoring in a 10-inning HOIC win over LeRoy on Wednesday. Blaine Friedmansky, Jaxson Goodrich and Joe Steffen each singled for the Minutemen.
Friedmansky (K) got the win after three innings of relief for Lexington (11-6). Kayden Knight (5 Ks) threw the first seven innings.
Fieldcrest 7, Lexington 6 – At Lexington, the Minutemen left the tying run in scoring position in a one-run HOIC loss to Fieldcrest at Keller Park on April 22. Candan Hardman had a home run and single and drove in two runs. Friedmansky had a triple and single (RBI) and Steffen had a double and single. Knight had two hits (2 RBIs) and Drake Powell (RBI), Goodrich and Preston Wiltz each singled.
Starter Hardman (2 Ks) took the loss. Powell (2 Ks) and Friedmansky (3 Ks) also pitched.
On April 20, Lexington scored three runs in six of the seven innings it batted in an 18-7 win over Putnam County. Goodrich led the offense with three hits and four runs batted in. Jimmy Smith contributed three hits and three RBIs. Goodrich got the win (7 Ks).
EPG 2, Fieldcrest 1 – At Wenona, Mason Vandegraft was given a lead before he threw his first pitch. He made it stand as El Paso-Gridley (8-8) tipped host Fieldcrest 2-1 Wednesday. He fanned seven in going the distance.
Dominic Ricconi had a run-scoring single and Mitchell Wilson drove in a run with a double in the first inning. Wilson had two doubles for the game and Ricconi had the other safety.
Tri-Valley 28, EPG 7 – At El Paso, Tri-Valley had more firepower on offense than host El Paso-Gridley and rolled to an HOIC victory on April 22 at South Pointe Park. EPG’s highlight was Ricconi’s three-run homer that gave the Titans a first-inning lead. The Vikings scored 16 runs in the seventh inning.
Ricconi had a homer and drove in four runs while Joah Knapp had two hits. Brady Veselack, Wilson, and Owen Adams (RBI) had one hit apiece. Veselack took the loss on the hill.
The loss came on the heels of an 11-2 win over Midland on April 20. Vandegraft had two hits and drove in two runs for EPG. Adams (RBI), Veselack (2 RBIs) and Ryan Kelsey (RBI) had hits. Adams got the win with a five-strikeout effort on the hill.
St. Bede 7, WFC 0 – At Peru, Tucker Hill suffered the loss despite allowing just three earned runs as Woodland-Flanagan-Cornell dropped a Tri-County Conference tilt against host St. Bede Thursday. Hill struck out two Bruins and scattered nine hits in 5 1/3 innings. Nolan Price finished up.
The Warriors (1-12) managed just two hits as Connor Dodge and Hill each singled.
Midland 13, WFC 8 – At Varna, host Midland scored in each inning it batted for a Tri-County Conference victory over Woodland-Flanagan-Cornell on April 22. WFC took an 8-7 lead in the top of the sixth with a four-run outburst, but the Timberwolves scored six runs in the bottom of the frame. Sam Schmitz took the loss in relief of starter Dodge. Dylan Jenkins finished up. Each fanned one.
Jenkins (RBI) and Price each had two hits for the Warriors. Brezdyn Simons (2 RBIs), Hill, Reece Pelnarsh (RBI) and Dodge (RBI) had one hit apiece.
This article originally appeared on Pontiac Daily Leader: Fogarty, DeYoung deliver key hits in Pontiac victory
