The Effingham Hearts used a four-run third inning to take the lead and went on to post an 8-3 victory Friday afternoon at Civic Memorial in Bethalto.

The hosts grabbed a 2-0 lead in the opening frame, but the third proved to be pivotal for EHS.

Kaiden Nichols led off with a walk. With one out, Cam Raddatz singled and both runners moved up on a fly ball. Spencer Fox then delivered a clutch two-run single to tie the game. An error allowed another run to cross the plate and Braden Verdeyen capped the inning with an RBI double.

A sacrifice fly by Fox accounted for a single tally in the fifth and the Hearts provided some additional cushion with a three-run sixth. Two singles and a walk loaded the bases. A sacrifice fly by Raddatz brought home the first run and Colton Webb delivered a two-run single.

Nichols pitched the first four innings to get the win. He allowed five hits and two runs, while walking three and striking out four. Jude Traub pitched the final three frames to earn the save.

The Hearts improved to 19-9 on the season. They will be right back in action Saturday, finishing their regular season with a doubleheader at Centralia. The first game is scheduled for 11 a.m.

It was set-up for a classic comeback.

The St. Anthony Bulldogs had just trimmed a four-run deficit to one and had the potential tying and winning runs on base with no outs in the top of the seventh.

Enter Effingham reliever Jude Traub. He threw just four pitches and recorded three outs to earn the save and help the Hearts salvage the final game of the annual City Series.

And the final out was not an easy one. St. Anthony’s Brady Hatton hit a hard ground ball, but Effingham shortstop Cam Raddatz made a very good play and threw to first to end the threat.

The Bulldogs clinched the traveling plaque with a doubleheader sweep the day before, but the Hearts came away with a 6-5 victory Friday night in the three-game series finale at Evergreen Hollow Park.

EHS had built a 6-2 lead heading into that final inning. But Henry Brent and Max Koenig walked and Beau Adams was hit by a pitch to load the bases. Aiden Lauritzen followed with a two-run single and the third run scored on an error. But Traub came in to slam the door and secure the victory.

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Kaden Knebel allowed just five hits, en route to a shutout performance, helping Highland post a 5-0 win Tuesday afternoon at Effingham.

Knebel didn’t walk a batter and struck out seven, while throwing 88 pitches in his complete game performance.

The Bulldogs scored two runs in the first inning and then added a single tally in the second and two more in the sixth.

The Hearts had a total of six baserunners, with one reaching on an error. All five of Effingham’s hits were singles – by Colton Webb in the second, Kaden Koeberlein in the fourth, Carter Braddy and Braden Verdeyen in the fifth and Brody Boehm in the sixth.

Koeberlein took the loss. He pitched 4.2 innings, allowing seven hits and three runs, while walking one and striking out one. Braddy and Jude Traub finished up.

The Hearts improved to 18-9 on the season. They will play Friday at Civic Memorial in Bethalto.

Cam Raddatz went deep in both games and drove in a total of eight runs Saturday, helping the Effingham Hearts sweep an Apollo Conference doubleheader at Taylorville.

Raddatz first struck in the second inning of the opener, connecting on a three-run blast as part of a six-run inning, and the Hearts went on to rout the Tornadoes, 16-4, in six innings

Raddatz got his second round-tripper in the first inning of the nightcap, staking EHS to an early lead, en route to a 7-1 decision and the sweep.

Taylorville committed four errors in the first game, leading to seven unearned runs. The Hearts used two walks and two of those errors to score three first-inning tallies.

EHS then took control with the six-run second. Braden Verdeyen got things started with a base hit, followed by a double off the bat of Jude Traub. Both of those runners eventually scored on an error. Yet another miscue put a pair of runners on base and Raddatz made the hosts pay, depositing a pitch over the centerfield fence.

Colton Webb followed with a solo blast, increasing Effingham’s lead to 9-2. The Hearts added three more in the fifth and four in the sixth. Braxton Lewis hit three hits, while Raddatz, Webb and Traub each had two in the 11-hit attack.

Carter Braddy pitched five innings to get the win. He gave up four runs and four hits, while walking six and striking out eight. Rylan Pals pitched the seventh.

In the first inning of the second game, Kaden Koberlein singled and Raddatz launched a 2-0 pitch over the rightfield fence, putting the Hearts up 2-0. They added single tallies in the second and fifth and wrapped it up with a three-run sixth, capped off by a two-run double by Raddatz.

Raddatz was also the winning pitcher. He went 4.1 innings, allowing five hits and one run. He walked two and struck out six. Pals worked 1.2 innings and Peter Rosen worked another to finish off the sweep.

The Hearts improved to 17-6 overall and 7-3 in the conference. They will play next in the annual City Series, facing St. Anthony on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. The games on Wednesday and Friday will be played at Paul Smith Field in Community Park, while Thursday’s contest will be at Evergreen Hollow Park. All three games are scheduled to begin at 4 p.m.