By Steve Raymond

ET Sports Report

For the Effingham seniors, the fourth time proved to be the charm.

After losing the City Series for three consecutive years, the Lady Hearts seized the city championship Thursday afternoon by posting a 12-2 victory over St. Anthony.

That gave EHS a 2-0 lead in the best-of-3 series. Game 3 will be played today (Friday) at Effingham’s field. Game time is 4 p.m.

Sidney Donaldson homered, Ryley Engel continued her RBI barrage and Natalie Armstrong turned in a strong pitching performance, helping Effingham bring home the City Series trophy for the first time since 2021.

“Our seniors didn’t want to go 0-4,” EHS coach Jerry Trigg said. “Winning the City Series was a big deal to our seniors especially. I’m happy for them.”

But there was also a somber and sad moment in the game. It happened in the top of the second inning. On a play at second base, Ady Rios, St. Anthony’s standout senior shortstop suffered a serious lower leg injury. The game was halted and an ambulance was called in. She was later transported to a hospital in St. Louis.

“This kid is the heart and soul of our team,” said St. Anthony coach Makayla Taylor. “I just hate this for her. Last year, she broke her hand and came back. And I’m sure she’ll come back stronger than ever from this. She’s a tough kid.

“It’s hard to put into words how you feel when something like this happens,” Taylor added. “It reminds you there’s much more to life than a softball game.”

By Steve Raymond

ET Sports Report

To be honest, winning the City Series is not the No. 1 concern for the coaches right now.

Mainly because it happens near the end of their schedules.

The postseason is right around the corner. They are focused on solidifying their lineups and getting their pitching rotations set. Now is when they want their teams to be playing their very best.

For the players, however, it’s a different mindset altogether.

Many of these boys have played with or against each other for years. The winner is considered the best team in town. This is for bragging rights.

And that will all be on the line tonight (Friday) when Effingham and St. Anthony meet in the championship game of the annual City Series.

It will be played at Paul Smith Field. The first pitch is scheduled for 7 p.m.

The Bulldogs made sure Game 3 was meaningful by posting a 5-2 win Thursday at Evergreen Hollow Park.

Brock Fearday turned in a strong pitching performance and St. Anthony scored three runs on wild pitches to make tonight’s clash a “winner take all” contest between the cross-town rivals.

By Steve Raymond

ET Sports Report

Terrific pitching.

Flawless defense.

Great baseball game.

Those three brief sentences perfectly describe Wednesday night’s opening game of the 2025 City Series, played at Paul Smith Field in Community Park.

As it turned out, Jude Traub’s RBI single in the bottom of the fifth inning proved to be the game-winner, as Effingham posted a 3-2 victory over St. Anthony in the first contest of this annual three-game set that determines bragging rights between the cross-town rivals.

Game 2 is set for tonight (Thursday) at 7 p.m. That game will be played at Evergreen Hollow Park.

“This was a good ballgame all around,” said EHS coach Curran McNeely. “It was a clean game all seven innings, which is nice to see.

“We’ll enjoy this one for a little while, then it will be time to lock back in and refocus on the game tomorrow night.”

By Steve Raymond

ET Sports Report

The City Series softball trophy has not resided at Effingham High School since 2021.

The St. Anthony Lady Bulldogs have captured the last three titles.

But the Effingham Lady Hearts took a first step toward regaining bragging rights by posting a 10-5 victory Wednesday afternoon on the EHS diamond.

Ryley Engel drove in four runs – three of which came on a fifth-inning home run in the decisive sixth inning – while Sydney Donaldson had three hits to lead a 14-hit barrage.

Game 2 is scheduled for today (Thursday) at 4 p.m. It will be played at Bulldog Field.

The Lady Hearts used a pair of four-run innings to build a commanding 10-1 lead. And had it not been for a terrific throw from St. Anthony rightfielder Ava Faber, cutting down Effingham’s Tessa Raddatz at the plate in the bottom of the fifth, the game would have been over due to the 10-run rule.

EHS started to take control in the bottom of the second inning. The score was tied 1-1 at the time.

By Steve Raymond

ET Sports Report

It was an exciting championship game.

Yes, there were missed scoring opportunities.

And, yes, there were a few misplays.

But the two teams battled from the opening pitch and the outcome wasn’t decided until the bottom of the seventh inning.

That’s when Zaida Wascher ripped a single up the middle to drive in two runs and give the Windsor/Stew-Stras Lady Hatchets a walk-off 5-4 victory over St. Anthony in the championship game of the National Trail Conference Softball Tournament.

The game pitted the tourney’s top two seeded teams, but most were not expecting a tight game.

Just a little over two weeks earlier, the Lady Hatchets posted a 10-0, five-inning win over the Lady Bulldogs. And WSS pitcher Samantha Hayes turned in a dominant no-hit, 10-strikeout performance.

But Friday night’s contest at Evergreen Hollow was a totally different story.

In fact, heading into the bottom of the seventh, St. Anthony owned a 4-3 lead after scoring a go-ahead tally in the top of the frame.

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