GREENVILLE - The Carrollton High School baseball team advanced on Saturday by winning the IHSA Class 1A sectional title with a 5-3 win over Centralia Christ Our Rock Lutheran at Greenville University's Robert E. Smith Field In Greenville.
It's the Hawks' fourth consecutive win since the postseason began as both Grant Pohlman and Gus Coonrod have given up only one hit combined in the playoffs. The win also advances Carrollton to the super-sectional game for only the second time in its history since winning a state championship in 2011.
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Hawks' Head Coach Ryan Howard said: "Everyone played a part" in the sectional championship win.
"If I am not mistaken, Carrollton has been in every sectional since Greenville started having them," Coach Howard added. "I've watched every one of them, even as a spectator. I am glad these boys got to bring some hardware home from Greenville. Gus (Coonrod) and Grant (Pohlman) were on the team when they were freshmen which ended in heartbreak here. I was glad for those boys."
Against the Silver Stallions in the sectional final, Grant Pohlman started things off right for Carrollton with a two-run third inning homer that put the Hawks up 2-0, scoring Dagan Cordes ahead of Pohlman, then extended the lead to 3-0 on an RBI pop-up single by Cordes. Carrolton scored its last two runs in the seventh on a Lucas Howard double that scored both Gus Coonrod and Pohlman.
Pohlman went all the way on the mound, striking out eight, to gain the win, also having three hits and two RBIs to help his cause, while Howard had two hits and two RBIs in the game.
The Hawks are now 12-15 and move on to the super-sectional at Claude Kracik Field at Lincoln Land Community College in Springfield on Monday, going up against Mt. Sterling Brown County, an 11-1 winner over Concord Triopia in the Jacksonville Routt Catholic sectional final, on Memorial Day, with the game starting at 3 p.m. The Silver Stallions end their season 12-11.
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