PIASA - The Southwestern High School baseball team improved its winning streak to six games Tuesday afternoon at Schneider Park in Brighton.
The Piasa Birds (22-10, 7-2 conference) hosted the East Alton-Wood River Oilers and won by a score of 10-0 after six innings. EAWR ends its regular season at 5-20.
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Piasa got to work quickly when Ian Brantley hit a two-RBI single in the bottom of the first. That was followed by Marcus Payne's RBI-double, trading places with Brantley to make it a 3-0 ballgame.
Ryan Lowis pitched a complete game shutout for Southwestern. He struck out five only allowing three hits and a walk. Offensively, he went 2-4 four with a couple of runs.
Piasa's first three runs in the first came off of EAWR pitcher Tyler Robinson. He was switched out after the first and Drake Champlin came in. He threw three scoreless innings and finished the day with a couple of strikeouts.
The Piasa Birds went back to work in the bottom of the fifth thanks to Adam Hale's sacrifice bunt and Rocky Darr reaching on an error that scored two runs. After five, Southwestern led by six.
Champlin's day ended after giving up two hits in the bottom of the sixth. In came Camden Seibert. Unfortunately for him, with runners in scoring position, he'd throw two wild pitches that each allowed a run to come across making it 8-0.
Hale and Logan Keith each hit RBI-singles to put the final runs across and end the game at 10-0 after six.
The Piasa Birds have three regular season games reaming, all non-conference affairs. They'll play at Carrollton before coming home to play Roxana and Hardin Calhoun.
In the postseason, Southwestern earned the No. 4 seed in its respected Sub-Sectional. They await the winner between No. 5 New Berlin and No. 11 Litchfield and will play the victor in the Regional Semifinals on Wednesday, May 17 at 4:30 p.m.
Piasa gets the luxury of hosting its Regional games. The Birds are undefeated (9-0) at home. Should they beat New Berlin or Litchfield, it will more than likely set up a game vs. No. 1 seed and undefeated Gillespie.
As for the Oilers, they come in as the No. 10 seed and take on No. 9 seeded Staunton. The winner of that game gets to play the No. 1 seed Father McGivney. EAWR and Staunton's Regional Quarterfinal game will be played at Staunton on Monday, May 15 at 4:30 p.m.
