It took a while for Effingham’s bats to come alive, but when they did, the hits and runs quickly piled up.
The Hearts collected 8 of their 11 hits and scored all 10 of their runs over the final three innings Tuesday and came home with a 10-3 victory over Taylorville.
The host Tornadoes held a 3-0 lead when EHS came to bat in the fifth. A two-out RBI single by Evan Waymoth got the Hearts on the scoreboard and the comeback was started.
Effingham took the lead with a three-run sixth. John Harper singled and then with two outs, Max Hardiek lined an RBI double and Joe Matteson followed with a two-run blast that sailed over the rightfield fence.
The Hearts then put the game away by pushing six runs across in the seventh. Kaiden Nichols walked, Harper singled and Quest Hull was hit by a pitch to load the bases. One run scored on a wild pitch and Hardiek delivered a two-run single. After Matteson and Camden Raddatz walked to load the bases again, EHS scored a run on an error and Gauge Massey capped the inning with a two-run single.
Raddatz, the third pitcher of the day for Effingham, relieved in the fifth and got the win. He pitched two innings of scoreless baseball. He didn’t allow a hit, while walking two and striking out two.
The Hearts improved to 12-10 on the season overall and finished Apollo Conference play with a 5-6 record. They will now play in the annual City Series. They will face St. Anthony today (Wednesday), Thursday and Friday. The games Wednesday and Friday will be played at Paul Smith Field in Community Park and Thursday’s contest will be at Evergreen Hollow Park. Game time each day is 7 p.m.
Quest Hull went 5-for-5, including a solo home run, and Josh McDevitt didn’t allow a hit in six innings of work, leading the Effingham Hearts to a 13-4 win Saturday at Charleston in the opening game of an Apollo Conference doubleheader.
The Trojans bounced back to take the second game by a close score of 3-2 to earn a split.
Hull had four singles to go along with his fifth-inning home run and drove in three runs to lead an EHS attack that featured 18 hits. John Harper also belted a home run, had three total hits and drove in three.
The Hearts jumped out on top, 2-0, in the opening inning. Kaiden Nichols reached on an error and Gauge Massey singled. With two outs, Hull and Max Hardiek had back-to-back RBI singles.
It stayed 2-0 until the fifth. Massey singled and Harper smacked a two-run homer over the centerfield fence. One out later, Hull went deep to increase the Effingham lead to 5-0.
Camden Raddatz had an RBI double and Hull added a run-scoring single to increase the margin to 7-0 in the sixth.
McDevitt was outstanding in his 106-pitch effort that lasted six innings. He didn’t allow a hit and struck out 15. Charleston finally got on the board in the bottom of the sixth, combining two walks, a hit batter and an error that actually resulted in all three tallies being unearned.
For the second straight Saturday, the Effingham Hearts received outstanding starting pitching during an Apollo Conference doubleheader.
Unfortunately, this time, Lincoln’s was just a little better.
Starters Wyatt Mammen and Andrew Graue both allowed just one hit during their innings of work and Trent Koehler came in to slam the door in both games, helping the Railsplitters sweep the DH at home.
Lincoln won the opener 2-1 and then completed the sweep with a 4-1 win in the nightcap.
Effingham got very good outings from Josh McDevitt in the first game and Brayden Pals in the second, but the Hearts bats just couldn’t produce enough offense, having a total of five hits in the two games combined.
In the opener, the Railsplitters scored two unearned runs in the fourth after the Hearts had taken a 1-0 lead in the top of the inning. Lincoln got a walk, a base hit and an error to load the bases with just one out. The first run scored on a ground out and the second came home on an RBI single by Jaden Leadley.
Effingham had only one hit in the game – a two-out single by Gauge Massey in the fifth. The Hearts scored their only tally in the fourth without a hit. Joe Matteson walked with one out. Evan Waymoth and Massey were both hit by a pitch to load the bases. John Harper then also walked to force in the run.
In the sixth, with one out, Quest Hull walked and Max Hardiek was hit by a pitch to give the Hearts a good chance to tie the game or even take the lead. But Koehler came in and struck out the final two batters to end the threat and then retired the side in order in the seventh to get the first of his two saves Saturday.
Mammen worked 5.1 innings, allowing just one hit and one earned run, while walking three and striking out 11. McDevitt went 5.2 innings and gave up three hits and two unearned runs. He walked two and struck out 12.
The Hearts also took a 1-0 lead in the fourth inning of the nightcap – again without a hit. Camden Raddatz drew a one-out walk, stole second and scored on an error.
Lincoln took the lead in the fourth on a two-run double by Alex Hoffert and then combined four hits for two more runs in the fifth.
EHS had just four hits in the second game. Kaiden Nichols and Massey started the contest with back-to-back singles. Matteson had a lead-off double in the fifth and Myles Maxedon had a one-out double in the seventh.
Graue went four innings, giving up two hits and a run, while walking two and striking out five. Koehler worked the final three shutout innings, giving up just two hits and striking out five. Pals worked all six innings. He allowed six hits and four runs, while walking two and fanning eight.
The Hearts dropped to 9-8 overall and 3-5 in the Apollo Conference. They will return home Wednesday to play South Central.
Myles Maxedon belted a go-ahead home run and Andrew Donaldson turned in a near-perfect relief appearance, helping the Effingham Hearts post an 8-5 victory Wednesday at home over South Central.
The Hearts trailed 5-2 when they came to bat in the third. Gauge Massey and John Harper both walked and Camden Raddatz singled to drive in the first run of the inning. After Quest Hull walked, Max Hardiek lifted a sacrifice fly and Maxedon then drove a 1-1 pitch over the centerfield fence for a three-run homer to cap the five-run inning.
Donaldson came on in relief in the fourth and was outstanding. The junior lefthander retired 12 of the 13 batters he faced. The only baserunner he allowed was a hit batter with one out in the sixth. He struck out three to record the win. Massey started and pitched the first three innings.
The Cougars jumped out to a 4-0 start in the top of the first. Aidan Dodson had a two-run double and Beau Jolliff smacked a two-run homer.
But the Hearts scored single tallies in the first, second and fourth.
The Hearts improved to 10-8. They will return to action Saturday with an Apollo Conference doubleheader at Charleston.
Quest Hull ripped a three-run homer for the second consecutive game, Andrew Donaldson turned in a strong pitching performance in relief and the Effingham Hearts notched their fourth straight victory at home Wednesday with a 15-6 win over Casey-Westfield.
Hull’s three-run blast came in the bottom of the first inning following walks to Kaiden Nichols and Gauge Massey and put the Hearts on top, 3-2.
The Warriors then pushed four runs across in the top of the second, but the Hearts scored the final 12 runs to secure the victory.
Donaldson came on in relief in the second inning and shut the Warriors down. In his four innings of work, he didn’t allow a hit or a run, while walking just one and striking out four to earn the win. Camden Raddatz was the starter and Hull pitched the final two innings.
The Hearts scored a single tally in the third and then took the lead with a six-run fourth. With one out, Myles Maxedon singled, Joe Matteson walked and Gabe Eaton singled to load the bases. Nichols and Harper both walked to force in runs, two runs scored on a pair of errors and Max Hardiek capped the rally with a two-run single.
An error accounted for both EHS runs in the fifth. Casey-Westfield committed four errors that accounted for seven unearned runs in the game. In the seventh, Eaton had an RBI single, Massey a two-run double and the final run scored on a passed ball.
The Hearts improved to 9-6. They will return to action Saturday with an Apollo Conference doubleheader at Lincoln.
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