The Sterling softball team scored two runs in the top of the seventh to pull out a 4-3 win over United Township in a Western Big 6 game Thursday in East Moline.
Trailing 3-2 heading into the seventh, Katie Taylor singled and Mya Lira was hit by a pitch. They each moved up a base on a pitch in the dirt, then Taylor scored on a wild pitch. The throw back to the pitcher covering home plate was too high and went over the pitcher’s head, and Lira came in with the go-ahead run.
Lira tripled and scored two runs, and Katie Dittmar had the lone RBI for Sterling (7-1, 3-0 WB6). Taylor had two hits, and Sienna Stingley ripped a double for the Golden Warriors, while also allowing three runs (one earned) and 10 hits in a complete game in the circle, striking out seven and walking three.
Dixon 14, Byron 5: Ana Kate Phillips hit for the cycle, Bailey Tegeler just missed a cycle of her own, and the Duchesses rolled past the Tigers for a Big Northern Conference road win.
Phillips went 5 for 5 with two singles, a double, a triple and a home run, and she also drove in five runs for Dixon (2-3, 2-1 BNC). Tegeler was 3 for 4 with a single, double and triple, and she added an RBI and scored four runs.
Ava Valk was 3 for 5 with a double, four RBIs and four runs scored, and Allie Abell went 3 for 5 with two RBIs and two runs. Kiley Gaither was 2 for 4 with two runs and an RBI, and Elly Brown also drove in a run for the Duchesses, who led 6-3 before putting the game away with a six-run fifth inning.
Abell (2-1) allowed five runs – only one was earned – and seven hits in a complete game, with four strikeouts and six walks.
Oregon 15, Rockford Lutheran 0 (3 inn.): Emma Schlitchtmann struck out four and walked two in a no-hitter, and Ava Hackman and Reilee Suter had big games at the plate to lift the Hawks past the Crusaders.
Hackman went 2 for 3 with four RBIs, including a three-run home run, and Suter went 3 for 3 with five RBIs as Oregon improved to 6-1 overall and 3-0 in the Big Northern Conference. Sarah Stevens added two RBIs, Gracen Pitts hit a triple, and Ella Dannhorn scored three runs for the Hawks.
Bureau Valley 7, Newman 0: Madison Smith pitched a no-hitter to lead the Storm past the Comets in Sterling.
Smith struck out 12, walked two and hit two batters, and she also had two singles and scored three runs on offense for Bureau Valley. Liana Ledergerber was 2 for 4 with three RBIs, and Lesleigh Maynard scored twice for the Storm.
Ady Waldschmidt allowed seven runs (four earned) and eight hits in a complete game for Newman (4-3, 1-3 TRAC East), striking out nine and walking five.
Fulton 16, West Carroll 4 (5 inn.): The Steamers followed a two-run first inning with a seven-run second, then kept the runs coming in a five-inning NUIC West win.
Madyson Luskey went 3 for 5 with four RBIs, Haley Smithers went 2 for 3 with four RBIs, Resse Germann chipped in two RBIs, and Kira Wilson and Brooklyn Brennan scored three runs each for Fulton.
Addison Hartman earned the complete-game win, allowing four runs and four hits, and striking out seven with two walks.
Lacey Eissens went 2 for 3 and Kendal Asay drove in two runs for West Carroll.
![Polo's Jasmyn Ludewig connects on a pitch duing an April 6 game with Forreston.](https://www.shawlocal.com/resizer/psStMKyZHRfjD4Wdq5BlpGr-jcE=/1440x0/filters:format(jpg):quality(70)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/shawmedia/UP3TZQGR3FHX7K3I7OWPJWMAYU.jpg)
Forreston sweeps Polo in doubleheader: The Cardinals beat the Marcos 14-2 and 14-3 in an NUIC South doubleheader in Polo.
In Game 1, Rylee Broshous went 4 for 4 with two RBIs, Alaina Miller went 3 for 4 with three RBIs, and Hailey Greenfield went 2 for 2 with a walk and three RBIs to lead Forreston; Miller and Broshous each scored three runs. Aubrey Sanders earned the complete-game win, allowing two runs and six hits, striking out eight and walking three.
Cheyenna Wilkins hit a home run for Polo.
In Game 2, Miller went 4 for 4 with two RBIs, and Brooke Boettner went 3 for 4 with three RBIs; Miller scored three runs and Boettner scored two. Miller earned the complete-game win, allowing three runs and four hits, striking out four and walking two.
Wilkins hit a double for the Marcos.
Riverdale 5, Morrison 1: The Rams scored a pair of runs in the first and third innings, then added one more for insurance in the seventh to finish off the Fillies.
Kiyah Wolber went 2 for 3 with a solo home run to lead Morrison. Bella Duncan took the loss in a complete game, allowing five runs and six hits, striking out four and walking three.
Milledgeville 10, Eastland 4: The Missiles outhit the Cougars 16-1 in the game and scored eight runs between the second and fourth innings on their way to a NUIC win.
Milledgeville’s Kendra Kingsby went 3 for 4 with a home run and two RBIs, and she also pitched seven innings, allowing three runs and one hit, striking out 13 and walking three. Emma Foster went 3 for 3 with a walk and an RBI and scored three runs, Kendra Hutchison singled and hit a solo home run, and Lily Smith and Brinley Hackbarth added two RBIs each for the Missiles.
Jocelyn Green had two RBIs, while Olivia Klinefelter had the only hit for Eastland.
Baseball
Newman 6, Bureau Valley 1: The Comets scored three runs in the bottom of the first inning, and Kyle Wolfe and Joe Oswalt combined to allow just one run in a Three Rivers East win in Manlius.
Nolan Britt was 3 for 3 with two RBIs and a run scored for Newman (7-2, 4-0 TRAC East), which was the home team due to the game being moved from Sterling to BV because of field conditions. Garret Matznick singled, doubled and scored three runs, and Oswalt also drove in a pair of runs. Brendan Tunink scored a run, but his six-game home run streak ended.
Wolfe allowed one earned run and six hits in five innings, striking out six and walking four. Oswalt gave up one hit in two innings of shutout relief, recording a strikeout.
Corban Chhim had the only RBI for Bureau Valley, and Sam Rouse had two hits at the plate and also started on the mound. He allowed five runs – only one was earned – and four hits in five innings, with three strikeouts and five walks. Logan Philhower gave up one run and three hits in an inning of relief, with one strikeout.
Byron 18, Rock Falls 5: The Rockets couldn’t keep up with the Tigers in a Big Northern Conference loss at home.
Braden Smith had four RBIs and also was the inning pitcher for Byron, striking out nine in 4 2/3 innings. Kye Aken added two RBIs and scored three runs for the Tigers.
Rock Falls dropped to 1-6 with the loss in their BNC opener.
Amboy 17, AFC 10: After The Clippers scored seven runs in the second inning and six more in the third to take a 13-4 lead, then held off the visiting Raiders from there.
Tucker Lindenmeyer went 3 for 5 with three RBIs and scored four runs, and Landon Whelchel went 3 for 5 for Amboy. Lindenmeyer pitched 2 1/3 scoreless, hitless innings, striking out three and walking one.
Quinn Leffelman and Brody Christofferson added two RBIs each for the Clippers.
Brock Lehman and Jordan Harris had three RBIs apiece for AFC; Lehman went 3 for 3. Aaron Lester scored four runs and racked up two hits and one RBI for the Raiders.
![Polo's Billy Lowry slides safely into second base as Forreston's Kendall Erdmann lays down the tag during an April 6 game in Polo.](https://www.shawlocal.com/resizer/PWj5JhvAbKficLx8beKtf-ec0xU=/1440x0/filters:format(jpg):quality(70)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/shawmedia/DZ47A7IXDRDERNNRP7TSWFCL3I.jpg)
Forreston sweeps Polo in doubleheader: The Cardinals beat the Marcos 14-1 and 12-2 in an NUIC South doubleheader in Polo.
In Game 1, Alec Schoonhoven went 3 for 4 with three RBIs, Patrick Wichman went 3 for 3 and scored four runs, Kendall Erdmann went 2 for 4 with three RBIs, and Ayden Book added three RBIs for the Cardinals; Erdman and Schoonhoven each hit a double. Owen Greenfield pitched four innings for Forreston, allowing two hits and one run, striking out five and walking three, and Erdmann pitched the final inning, striking out two and walking one without allowing a hit.
Nolan Hahn and Scott Robertson had one hit each to lead Polo in the opener, and Carter Merdian scored the only run.
In Game 2, Schoonhoven and Brendan Greenfield had two RBIs apiece to lead Forreston; Greenfield and Erdmann led the team with two hits each. Schoonhoven also pitched three innings, allowing one hit and two unearned runs, striking out four and walking three. Carson Akins threw two scoreless innings for the Cardinals with one hit, one strikeout and no walks.
Nolan Hahn drove in both Polo runs in the nightcap.
Orion 8, Erie-Prophetstown 1: The Chargers scored four runs in the first inning, then tacked on four more in the third to beat the visiting Panthers in a Three Rivers West contest.
Braedyn Frank hit a double and drove in Tucker VanDeWostine for Erie-Prophetstown’s only run. Frank also pitched three scoreless innings, allowing two hits and striking out four, with two walks.
Soccer
Oregon 1, Stillman Valley 0: Kenna Wubbena scored the winning goal in overtime with an assist from Alyssa Mowry.
Sarah Eckardt recorded 16 saves and got her third shutout of the season as the Hawks improved to 3-0.
Boys tennis
Geneseo 6, Sterling 3: The Golden Warriors won two singles matches and one doubles match in a Western Big 6 loss to the Maple Leafs.
At No. 1 singles, Sterling’s Brecken Peterson defeated Alex Slaymaker 6-3, 6-3, while at No. 2 singles, Connor Pham took down Samuel Robinson 3-6, 6-4, 1-0 (7).
In the No. 1 doubles match, Peterson and Pham beat Robinson and Slaymaker 7-5, 6-3.
![Polo's Carter Merdian pitches against Forreston during an April 6 game in Polo.](https://www.shawlocal.com/resizer/7-bW312fTubC6qUFBUzv26HnY2c=/1440x0/filters:format(jpg):quality(70)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/shawmedia/6ZYMU63TGFECVHNHJ2EI7H4AEM.jpg)