The Mahomet-Seymour Bulldogs combined strong pitching and timely hitting Saturday to post an Apollo Conference doubleheader sweep at Effingham.

The Bulldogs opened with a 5-3 win in eight innings and then came back to post a 9-0 shutout in the nightcap to complete the sweep.

In the first game, the Bulldogs took advantage of a pair of EHS errors to score the winning tallies in the top of the eighth. A bunt single brought home the go-ahead run, followed by another RBI base hit.

The opener proved to be a back-and-forth affair.

The Hearts took a 1-0 lead in the second against Mahomet-Seymour’s Blake Wolters, who has already committed to Purdue University. With two outs, Myles Maxedon walked and Evan Waymoth was hit by a pitch. Joe Matteson then got a base hit, driving in Maxedon.

Wolters belted a solo home run in the fourth to tie the game. The Bulldogs added two runs in the sixth, but the Hearts added single tallies in the sixth and seventh to tie the game and force extra innings. The Hearts scored in the sixth on an error and then combined three walks and a wild pitch to score in the seventh.

Gauge Massey took the loss for Effingham. He pitched the final two innings. Brayden Pals was the starter and went the first six innings. He gave up three runs on five hits. He didn’t walk a batter and struck out 10.

In the second game, Zach Coursin and two other pitchers combined to throw a four-hit shutout. The Bulldogs scored one run in the opening inning and then added a pair of four-run frames in the fifth and sixth to break the game open.

The Hearts got singles from John Harper, Kaiden Nichols and Camden Raddatz and a double by Matteson.

Josh McDevit took the loss. He worked five innings, allowing six hits and seven runs, while walking one and striking out eight.

The Hearts dipped to 5-5 overall and 1-3 in the Apollo Conference. They will play return to action Thursday at home against North Clay.