Adam Swanson’s huge game leads Ottawa baseball to I-8 win: The Times Friday Area Roundup

Baseball

Ottawa 18, Rochelle 5 (5 inn.): At Rochelle, Adam Swanson’s huge day on Friday helped the Pirates improve to 13-16 overall and finish the Interstate 8 Conference schedule 7-8.

Swanson went 4 for 5 with a double, home run and seven RBIs at the plate and also earned the pitching win with five strikeouts in five innings. Jack Henson had three hits, including a homer, and three RBIs, while Packston Miller added two hits. Cam Loomis smacked a solo homer, with Garrett Shymanski (RBI) and Lucas Farabaugh (RBI) each adding a double.

East Peoria 11, Streator 1 (5 inn.): At SHS Athletic Fields, the visiting Raiders scored four times in each of the first two innings in defeating the Bulldogs (12-17).

Zander McCloskey (double, RBI), Jake Hagie and Landon Muntz posted hits for Streator.

Marquette 1-11, Dwight 7-2: At Dwight, the Crusaders (23-2, 13-2) split the Tri-County Conference doubleheader with the Trojans.

In the Game 1 setback, Sam Mitre (double) had two hits, Alec Novotney and Anthony Couch doubled, and Keaton Davis drove in a run for Marquette. Carson Zellers (Loss, 3 IP, H, 8 H, 5 ER, 0 BB, 1 K) and Ryan Peterson (2 IP, 3 H, 1 ER, 0 BB, 2 K) shared mound duties.

The Crusaders plated four runs in the first on the way to bouncing back to take Game 2. Mitre went 4 for 4 with two doubles and an RBI, Griffin Dobberstein had three hits and an RBI, while Novotney and Davis (double, three RBIs) each had two hits. Couch (Win, 3 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 4 K) and Dobberstein (2 IP, 4 H, 2 ER, 0 BB, 2 K) each took the mound.

Serena 10-15, Indian Creek 0-4 (5 inns.): At Shabbona, the Huskers clinched their first Little Ten Conference title since 2006 with the doubleheader league sweep of the Timberwolves.

Hunter Staton (5 IP, 1 H, 2 BB, 11 K) was solid on the mound and the plate (3 for 4, two RBIs) for Serena (13-12, 11-1) in the opener. Nolan Muffler had two hits, while Payton Twait (RBI) and Beau Raikes (RBI) each doubled.

In Game 2, Tanner Faivre (double, two RBIs) recorded three hits, with Carson Baker (double) and Staton each collecting two hits. Raikes had four RBIs and Twait a pair of runs knocked in. Faivre (5 IP, 3 H, 4 ER, 5 BB, 7 K) also earned the win on the hill.

Boys track and field

Ottawa places fourth at I-8 meet: At Morris, the Pirates scored 41 points and finished behind champion Kaneland (194), Sycamore (175) and Rochelle (78).

Weston Averkamp was the champion in the 100 hurdles (15.07 seconds) and 300 hurdles (40.05), while Michael Mills won the shot put with a throw of 14.82 meters.

Softball

Marquette 15-5, Dwight 1-2 (5 inns.): At Dwight, the Crusaders swept the Tri-County Conference doubleheader from the Trojans.

In the opener, Hunter Hopkins (three RBIs) had four hits, while Taylor Cuchra (double, home run, five RBIs) and Emma Rinearson (double, two RBIs) each had three hits for Marquette (15-8, 11-4). Maisie Lyons (RBI), Kelsey Cuchra (two doubles) and Makayla Backos (RBI) all had two hits. Taylor Cuchra (4 IP, 2 H, 1 ER, 2 BB, 3 K) and Hopkins (1 IP, 1 K) shared pitching duties.

In the second game, Lyons (RBI), Rinearson (RBI) and Hopkins all collected two hits. Hopkins (3 IP, 2 H, 0 ER, 1 BB, 3 K) and Lyons (2 IP, 3 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 1 K) shared time in the circle.

Lexington 6, Woodland/Flanagan-Cornnell 4: At Lexington, the host Minutemen scored four runs in the fifth in the victory over the Warriors (15-10).

Kaiden Connor (RBI) had three hits for WFC, with Olivia Chismarick adding two hits. Emma Palaschack, Ella Derossett and Kaylee Henert posted RBIs. Shae Simons (6 IP, 6 H, 5 ER, 4 BB, 10 K) suffered the loss in the circle.

Seneca goes 2-1 at Spring Classic: At Rockridge, the Fighting Irish (30-2) lost to Moline 2-1 but bounced back with wins over Orion (4-1) and Dakota (3-0) at the Rockridge Spring Classic.

Against Moline, Alyssa Zellers and Tessa Krull had hits and Hayden Pfeifer an RBI, with Krull (5 IP, 5 H, 1 ER, 0 BB, 5 K) and Pfeifer (Loss, 1 IP, 2 H, 1 ER, 0 BB, 1 K) sharing time in the circle.

Emma Mino had two hits and an RBI, with Pfeifer and Sam Vandevelde also posting RBIs in the win over Orion. Pfeifer (4 IP, 4 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 8 K) earned the win in relief of Krull (2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 3 K).

In the victory over Dakota, Krull (7 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 3 BB, 10 K) fired the shutout while Camryn Stecken (two RBIs) blasted a home run.

La Salle-Peru 7, Serena 5: At La Salle, the Cavaliers scored three times in the sixth in the win over the Huskers (16-7).

Paisley Twait (two RBIs) and RayElle Brennan (RBI) each smacked home runs to lead Serena. Maddie Glade (6 IP, 9 H, 6 ER, 2 BB, 2 K) suffered the pitching loss.