JERSEYVILLE - The Jersey High junior varsity summer baseball team played well in a pair of games on Saturday morning, but lost twice, falling to the Southern Illinois Prospect 7-4, then only had one hit on the day in a 3-0 loss to Richwood Heights in the second game of the day.
It was the second set of games the Panthers have been able to play this summer, returning to the field last week in splitting a doubleheader with the St. Louis Bears after having the 2020 IHSA season cancelled in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Get The Latest News!
Don't miss our top stories and need-to-know news everyday in your inbox.
In the first game of the day, the Prospects jumped out to a 5-0 lead, scoring three times in the first inning, then adding on a pair of runs in the second before Jersey struck back with two runs in the third. Griffin Williams led off with a bunt single, then advanced to second on Ian Sullivan's single to left. After a fielder's choice forced Williams at third, Blake Carey drew a walk to load the bases, and Sam Larner walked to force home the first run. An Ethan Klunk single scored the second run, but a strikeout and a runner caught stealing home ended the inning.
The Panthers scored twice more in the fourth to cut the lead to 5-4, with both runs scoring after two out. Williams, Sullivan and Drake Goetten all walked to load the bases, and two more walks to both Carey and Larner forced home Williams and Sullivan. Klunk struck out to end the inning, and the Prospects scored twice more in the bottom of the fourth to make the final 7-4, as there was no more scoring in the game.
Sullivan, Klunk and Williams all had the base hits for Jersey, while Larner drove home two runs, and both Carey and Klunk also had RBIs. Klunk was the starting pitcher, and allowed four hits and five runs, four earned, in an inning-and-a-third, walking three and striking out one. Garrett Smith pitched two-and-two-thirds innings, allowing two hits and two runs, both unearned, while walking two and having no strikeouts.
In the second game against Richwood Heights, the Panthers could only manage one his, a sixth inning single by Austin Hayes, as Richwood scored once in the second and twice more in the sixth to take the win.
Jake Wagner started on the mound for Jersey, and pitched well, going four innings, conceding three hits and one run, while walking one and fanning two. Sullivan threw for two innings, allowing two runs on three hits, walking one and striking out one.
The Panthers are now 1-3 on the summer season.
More like this:
