SportShorts for Thursday, June 2, 2022

Junis gets no-decision Tuesday night

Rock Falls native Jakob Junis made his fifth start of the season for the San Francisco Giants on Tuesday night, pitching 4 1/3 innings but not factoring in the decision against the Phillies in Philadelphia.

Junis gave up one earned run and three hits, with three strikeouts and two walks while pitching into the fifth inning. The game went into extra innings, with the Giants eventually winning 7-4 in 11.

For the season, Junis is 2-1 with a 2.68 ERA in 37 innings over seven games, with five starts. He has allowed 11 runs (all earned) and 29 hits, with 27 strikeouts and seven walks. He has a 0.97 WHIP (walks & hits per innings pitched), and opposing batters are hitting just .213 against him.

Sterling softballer Palumbo named first-team all-WB6

Sterling senior pitcher/first baseman Elizabeth Palumbo was selected as one of 11 members of the first team on the Western Big 6 all-conference softball squad, released last week.

She was the only first-team pick for the Golden Warriors, but junior outfielder Katie Dittmar, sophomore pitcher/first baseman Sienna Stingley, and junior shortstop Lauren Jacobs were second-team selections. Junior third baseman Ellie Leigh earned honorable mention honors.

Rock Island senior infielder Taylor Pannell was named league MVP.

Sterling baseball duo named all-conference

Two Golden Warriors were named to the Western Big 6 all-conference baseball team, the league announced last week.

Sophomore pitcher/catcher Garrett Polson and senior pitcher/utility player Blake Nettleton were both honorable mention selections.

Moline junior pitcher Riley Fuller was the conference MVP.

Big Northern announces all-conference baseball team

Three Dixon players were named first-team all-conference in the Big Northern this season, while one Rock Falls player joined them as the league released its all-conference team Wednesday.

Dukes seniors Gage Burdick and Beau Evans and sophomore Max Clark were all first-team picks, as was Rock Falls junior Brady Richards.

Dixon senior Trey Scheidegger and junior Kyan Adkins, and Rock Falls sophomore Gavin Sands were named to the second team by the conference coaches.

Local honorable mention selections were Dixon senior Jake Gaither and sophomore Bryce Feit, Rock Falls seniors Dillon Schueler and Cooper Hewitt, and Oregon junior Miley Smith and freshman Jack Washburn.

BNC names all-conference softball players

Eight locals were named to the first team of the all-Big Northern Conference softball team, the league announced Tuesday.

Dixon seniors Sam Tourtillott and Elle Jarrett, Rock Falls juniors Katie Thatcher, Brooke Howard and Rylee Johnson, and Oregon senior Mia Trampel and juniors Liz Mois and Reilee Suter were all first-team picks by the conference coaches.

Local second-team selections were Dixon junior Ana-Kate Phillips and senior Arianne Smith, Rock Falls junior Zoe Morgan, and Oregon seniors Bella Koertner and Lena Trampel.

Dixon senior Izzi McCommons and freshman Bailey Tegeler, Rock Falls junior Savanna Fritz, and Oregon senior Jesse Suter and freshman Ella Dannhorn were all named honorable mention.

Comets, Storm softballers earn spots on TRAC East team

Newman and Bureau Valley athletes earned spots on the Three Rivers East all-conference softball team this spring.

Newman sophomore pitcher Ady Waldschmidt was a unanimous pick, and was joined on the first team by Comets sophomore outfielder Madison Duhon, and Bureau Valley senior infielder Tyra Sayler and freshman pitcher Madison Smith.

Newman junior catcher Carlin Brady and sophomore infielder Jess Johns were second-teamers, as was BV freshman infielder Lesleigh Maynard.

Honorable mention selections were Newman sophomore outfielder Sophia Ely and Storm senior catcher Darla Kepner.

Locals litter all-NUIC South baseball team

Five area teams had first-team all-conference selections in the NUIC South this spring, the league announced last week.

Eastland senior Kellen Henze was named the conference MVP, and was joined on the first team by fellow Cougar seniors Carson Heckman and Owen Rogers. Amboy seniors Andruw Jones and Sam Russell were also first-team picks, as were AFC juniors Jordan Harris and Carson Rueff. Milledgeville senior Ashton Nobis and sophomore Connor Nye were named to the first team, and so were Forreston seniors Jacob Fiorello and Dylan Greenfield, and junior Owen Greenfield.

Second-team selections were Amboy senior Ian Eller; AFC junior Braiden Runkle; Eastland senior Jaxson Sturtevant, juniors Allyn Geerts and Max McCullough, sophomore Cole Huber and freshman Hunter Miller; Milledgeville senior Caden VanDyke and junior Cayden Akers; and Forreston seniors Tommy Appel and Noah Johnson, and sophomore Brendan Greenfield.

Amboy junior Tucker Lindenmeyer, AFC junior Griffin Bushman, Milledgeville senior Payton Urish, and Polo senior Tyler Merdian and sophomore Nolan Hahn were named honorable mention.

NUIC South names softball all-conference team

Forreston had five first-team selections on the NUIC South all-conference softball team, the league announced last week.

Senior Kara Erdmann was the conference’s player of the year, and she was joined on the first team by Cardinals juniors Rylee Broshous, Alaina Miller, Brooke Boettner and Hailey Greenfield. Eastland had a trio of first-teamers in senior Chloe Sweitzer, junior Jocelyn Green, and sophomore Jenica Stoner, while Milledgeville senior Rylee Matthews and junior Emma Foster were also first-teamers. Amboy senior Hannah Blanton and Polo senior Nicole Boelens rounded out the first team.

Polo had a quartet of second-team selections in seniors Maddi Jones and Natalie Nelson, junior Lindee Poper and sophomore Sydnei Rahn. Amboy freshmen Tyrah Vaessen and Kaysi Schaeffer, and AFC senior Jessica Milligan were also named to the second team, as were Milledgeville junior Marissa Sturrup and sophomore Maliah Grenoble, and Eastland senior Addison Burkholder and sophomore Gracie Steidinger. Forreston sophomore Jenna Greenfield was also a second-teamer.

Sterling’s Turner named to WB6 all-conference soccer team

Sterling junior defender Olivia Turner was the lone Golden Warrior to earn a spot on the Western Big 6 girls soccer all-conference team, released last week.

Moline senior forward Carolina Hazen was the WB6 MVP.

Duchesses, Hawks named to BNC all-conference soccer team

Dixon sophomore Emily Smith and Oregon juniors Sophie Stender and Alyssa Mowry were first-team picks on the all-Big Northern Conference girls soccer team, the league announced last week.

The Duchesses had a pair of second-teamers in junior Hanna Lengquist and sophomore Katie Drew, and they were joined by Hawks junior Gracie Prose.

Dixon sophomores Avery Burmeister and Kailey Helfrich were honorable mention selections, as were Oregon junior Hadley Lutz and sophomore Teagan Champley.

Cougars’ Reifsteck to run at Coe

Eastland senior Natalie Reifsteck will continue her athletic and academic career at Coe College in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, where she will run cross country and track & field for the Kohawks.

Reifsteck, the daughter of Dan and Katie Reifsteck, competed in cross country, basketball and track & field during her four years with the Cougars.

Ladies golf league plays Tuesday

The Emerald Hill Ladies Golf Association held its weekly playday Tuesday, with play of the day as Hate ‘Em.

The 18-hole award winners were Mimi Boysen in first place, Connie Wolber in second place, and Boysen with the low gross and low putts.

Over nine holes, Janet Freil took first place, Paula Harmon was second and had the low gross, and Sue Kort had the low putts.

Boysen, Kort and Ruth Heflebower all had chip-ins.