Friday Roundup: Evelyn O’Connor’s 2 victories lead Seneca girls to title at own Irish Invite

At the Seneca Irish Track and Field Invitational on Friday, the host Fighting Irish girls scored 163 points to run away with the team title over runner-up Pontiac in a 15-team field, while the Seneca boys scored 52.5 points to place fourth in a field of 16.

Evelyn O’Connor recorded a pair of individual event victories for the Seneca girls, winning the 800-meter run in 2 minutes, 28.36 seconds and the 1,600 meters in 5:22.33. Faith Deering’s 42.75-meter throw in the discus and Anna Bruno’s 5.43-meter leap in the long jump also scored firsts for the Fighting Irish.

Seneca also won three of the day’s four relay events – the 4x100 (Deering, Taylor Draves, Emma Smith, Caitlyn O’Boyle) in 51.68 seconds; the 4x200 (Deering, Draves, Teagan Johnson, Keeli Pumphrey) in 1:55.49; and the 4x400 (Clara Bruno, O’Connor, Pumphrey, Smith) in 4:23.78.

Individual event runners-up for the Seneca girls included Ashley Aslvig (11:49.98 in the 3,200), O’Boyle (18.05 seconds in the 100 hurdles; 10.13 meters in the triple jump) and Johnson (3.36 meters in the pole vault).

Top finishers for the Seneca boys team included John Farcus winning the high jump (1.85 meters), Given Siegel coming in third in the 110 hurdles (17.3 seconds) and Brady Danek placing third in the 3,200 (11:16.03).

SOFTBALL

Somonauk/HBR/Leland 5, Earlville 2: At Earlville, the host Red Raiders (4-4 overall, 1-1 Little Ten Conference) had to settle for the series split.

Somonauk (4-4 overall, 3-3 Little Ten) used a three-run fifth inning to break a tie game. Haley McCoy homered and drove in two, Bre VerCautren singled once and doubled twice, and Lily Day and Morgan Potter each had two hits and an RBI in support of winning pitcher VerCautren (7 IP, 1 ER, 9 K).

Paige Marks (2 1/3 IP, 3 ER, 4 K) took the pitching loss for Earlville.

Fieldcrest 8, Dee-Mack 3: At Minonk, the host Knights took control early with an attack led by Ella Goodrich (two doubles, triple, two RBIs, three runs scored) and Riley Burton (triple, two singles, two RBIs).

Kaya Buchanan also drove home two runs in support of winning pitcher Kylee Cook (7 IP, 3 ER, 7 K).

BASEBALL

Fieldcrest 6, Dee-Mack 3: At Wenona, the host Knights saw Koltin Kearfott (win, 6 IP, 3 ER, 12 K) and Clayton Shirley (save, 1 IP, 0 R, 2 K) combine on the mound in the Heart of Illinois Conference triumph.

Kearfott helped his cause with three singles and an RBI. Tyler Serna added one hit and two RBIs.