The Effingham Hearts banged out six hits, collected five walks and had four hit batters.

And that was just in the first inning.

They sent 18 batters to the plate and scored 13 runs, en route to a 17-2 Apollo Conference victory at home Tuesday over Taylorville.

With one out, Gauge Massey singled, Jackson Lee walked and Max Hardiek was hit by a pitch to load the bases. Christian Raddatz then blasted an 0-1 pitch over the leftfield fence for a grand slam and a quick 4-0 lead.

Before the inning was over, Dylan Cunningham had a pair of RBI singles, Max Nelson had a two-run single and three runs were forced home with two hit batters and a walk with the bases loaded.

EHS tacked on three more runs in the second and added a final tally in the fourth.

The Hearts finished with 11 hits, with Nelson and Cunningham both collecting three. Raddatz finished with five RBI.

Josh McDevitt was the starter and pitched the first two innings to get the win. He didn’t allow a base runner and struck out four. Raddatz and Nelson each pitched one inning.

The Hearts improved to 10-1 overall and 3-0 in the Apollo Conference. They will now play St. Anthony in the annual City Series today (Wednesday), Thursday and Friday. They will host games today and Friday at Paul Smith Field and will play at Evergreen Hollow Park on Thursday. Game time each day is 7 p.m.

Jackson Lee belted a home run and drove in four runs, while four pitchers combined to allow only four hits, helping the Effingham Hearts post a 10-3 win Friday at Flora and remain unbeaten on the spring season.

The Hearts broke on top quickly, scoring twice in the opening inning. Quest Hull led off with a base hit, but that was the only hit of the inning. Lee walked and Jack Blickem was hit by a pitch to load the bases. Max Hardiek was then hit by another pitch to force home the first run and the second tally came in on a fielder’s choice.

An error, walk and RBI singles by Gabe Eaton and Max Nelson increased the EHS lead to 4-0 in the third.

The Hearts added three more runs in the fourth. Hull started things with a base hit and Lee than smashed a two-run homer that sailed over the leftfield fence. Following two walks, Christian Raddatz delivered an RBI single to make it 7-0.

Flora tallied three times in the bottom of the sixth, but the Hearts came back with three of their own in the seventh. Two walks and a base hit by Eaton loaded the bases. One run scored on a fielder’s choice and Lee then followed with a triple that drove in the final two runs of the contest.

Kalen Reardon pitched the first four innings and looked real good. He didn’t allow a run and gave up just one hit. He didn’t walk a batter and struck out seven. Jackson Doedtman pitched two innings and Gauge Massey one to complete the game.

The Hearts, now 8-0, are scheduled to play at home today (Saturday) against Charleston in an Apollo Conference contest. The first pitch is scheduled for 10 a.m.

Jackson Lee had quite a game.

He pitched 5.2 innings of shutout baseball and belted a grand slam, leading the Effingham Hearts to a 7-0 victory at home Saturday over Charleston in the opening game of a doubleheader.

In the nightcap, the Trojans rallied for two runs in the seventh inning to post a 5-4 win, gain a split of the twin-bill and hand Effingham its first loss of the season.

In the opener, Lee was dominant on the mound. He allowed only singles in the second and third innings. He didn’t walk a batter and struck out six while throwing 75 pitches. Matthew Loy pitched the final 1.1 innings.

It was a scoreless tie through four innings. But in the bottom of the fifth, the Hearts struck in a big way.

Christian Raddatz walked, Gauge Massey singled and Dylan Cunningham walked to load the bases. Preston Latch and Quest Hull then both walked, forcing in two runs and then Lee made Charleston pay, driving a 1-1 pitch over the leftfield fence for a bases-clearing grand slam that put the Hearts on top 6-0.

Max Nelson added an RBI single in the seventh to complete the scoring.

The Hearts carried a 4-3 lead into the seventh inning of the second game, but Charleston rallied. Corey Spour delivered the big hit, a two-out, two-run single that proved to be the game-winner.

The Trojans built a 3-0 lead early, but EHS began to cut into that in the bottom of the third. With one out, Dylan Cunningham singled and came around to score on a double by Quest Hull. Joe Matteson then brought Hull home with a ground ball.

Dylan Cunningham delivered an RBI single to tie the game in the fourth and Effingham took the lead in the fifth. Hull singled, Lee walked and Matteson delivered a run-scoring base hit to give the Hearts a 4-3 lead.

Josh McDevitt relieved in the sixth and took the loss. Brayden Pals pitched the first five innings.

The Hearts are 9-1 overall and 2-0 in the Apollo Conference. Only the first game of a DH between conference teams counts in the league standings. Effingham will play another conference game at home Tuesday against Taylorville.

Two walks and an error resulted in a seventh-inning run and allowed the Effingham Hearts to escape with an 8-7 win Tuesday afternoon at Highland.

Jackson Lee and Christian Raddatz led off the top of the seventh with a pair of walks. Lee moved up to third on a fielder’s choice and then scored when Gauge Massey’s ground ball was misplayed.

Matthew Loy, the third pitcher of the day for EHS, allowed a walk in the bottom of the seventh, but also recorded two strikeouts to secure the win and keep the Hearts undefeated so far this spring.

But they had to play from behind most of the game.

Highland led 5-1 and 7-4, but Effingham used a pair of three-run innings to come back and tie the game 7-7.

The comeback started in the fourth. Lee led off with a base hit and Raddatz was hit by a pitch. Joe Matteson then delivered an RBI single, Massey drove in a run with a ground out and Kalen Reardon had a sacrifice fly to get EHS within 5-4.

In the sixth, it was the same group that accounted for three more runs. Lee singled, Raddatz walked and Matteson singled to load the bases. Massey drove in the first run with a base hit and Reardon followed with a two-run double to tie the score.

Loy pitched the final two innings to get the win. He didn’t allow a hit, while walking one and striking out two. Jack Blickem started and went the first 2.2 innings, allowing eight hits and five runs. Brayden Pals pitched the next 2.1 innings and gave up three hits and two runs.

The Hearts, now 7-0, will play Friday at Flora and then return home to face Charleston Saturday morning in an Apollo Conference game at Paul Smith Field.