Routt’s Brady Turner delivers a pitch during the Rockets’ win over Liberty in the Liberty Regional championship game on Saturday.
Dennis Mathes | Journal-Courier
The Jacksonville baseball team set a school record for wins in a single season with an 8-2 victory over Highland in the championship game of the Mattoon Regional on Saturday.
The Crimsons, now 27-7, take on Mascoutah in the semifinals of the Troy Triad Sectional on Wednesday. First pitch is at 4:30 p.m.
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The regional title was Jacksonville’s second in the past three years. The Crimsons have won 21 or more games in each of the past three seasons.
JHS exploded for six runs in the first inning on Saturday to seize the momentum. The Crimsons loaded the bases with nobody out on a single by Joe Reif and walks to Jack Rohlk and Nolan Peters. AJ Charpentier followed with a single to make it 1-0. Ethan Kruzan hit a sacrifice fly to center to increase the lead to 2-0.
Bentley Lagergren tripled to center field to drive in two more runs. Another run came in on an error. Then with two out, an error on a ground ball by Ryan Headen chased home another run to make it 6-0.
The Crimsons added single runs in the second and third innings.
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That was more than enough run support for Jacksonville starting pitcher Cy Kershaw, who scattered six hits over seven innings pitched. He struck out two batters and walked no one.
Brady Turner pitched a one-hit shutout with 15 strikeouts and no walks as the Rockets beat Liberty to win the Liberty Regional championship on Saturday.
Routt advances to the Camp Point Central Sectional. The Rockets will play Abingdon-Avon in the second semifinal game at 4:30 p.m. on Wednesday. Brown County will play Monmouth United in the first semifinal at 2 p.m.
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Routt broke through against big right-hander Reed Sparrow with a run in the second. Dalton Brown singled with two out and scored when Anson Butcher laced a double to right field.
The Rockets added a pair of insurance runs in the fifth. With one out, Jacob Brown singled. With two out, Brown advanced to second and then third on a pair of wild pitches. Turner followed with a single to make it 2-0.
Bryson Mossman hit a single to advance pinch-runner Taegan Rives to third base, then Kale Reich singled to drive in Rives as the Rockets increased their lead to 3-0.
Turner retired the last 12 batters he faced in order, preserving the victory.
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Routt improved its record to 21-12 with its fourth straight regional championship.
BROWN COUNTY 11, CAMP POINT CENTRAL 3
The Brown County baseball team played long ball against Camp Point Central to win the Mendon Unity Regional championship on Saturday.
Jack Sefton, Matt Boylen and Michael Kassing all went deep as the Hornets won their first regional title since finishing second in the State Final Tournament in 2022.
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Camp Point Central scored a run in the top of the first, but Brown County answered with a run in the bottom half, then plated two more runs in the third on a two-run homer by Kassing to take a 3-1 lead.
Each team scored a run in the fourth. Camp Point cut the lead to 4-3 with a run in the top of the fifth. But the Hornets padded their lead with four in the bottom of the fifth, scoring on solo homers by Sefton and Boylen, and two-out RBI singles by Kassing and Myer Maxwell.
Brown County plated three more in the sixth to make it a rout.
Sefton, Boylen and Kassing finished with two hits apiece. Sefton and Kassing each hit a double.
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Connor Flynn picked up the win, giving up three runs (two earned) on five hits in five innings pitched. He struck out eight and walked four. Sefton pitched the final two innings, shutting out Camp Point on three hits with a strikeout and a walk.
Brown County (20-6-2) advances to the Camp Point Central Sectional to take on Monmouth United in the semifinals on Wednesday. First pitch is at 2 p.m. The winner will play either Routt or Abingdon-Avon for the sectional championship on Saturday.