20 runs + 29 hits = doubleheader sweep.

That’s what the Effingham Lady Hearts did Saturday at Mattoon.

They had 14 hits in the opener, en route to a 9-1 win. EHS followed that up with a 15-hit attack and an 11-8 win to complete the sweep.

In the first game, while her teammates were providing plenty of support at the plate, Natalie Armstrong was keeping the Mattoon bats in check. She allowed nine hits, but just one run. Armstrong walked two and struck out four in her seven-inning performance.

Sidney Donaldson went 3-for-4 and Ryley Engel and Bria Beals both had two hits and a pair of RBI.

The Lady Hearts got off to a quick start, scoring in the first two innings. Armstrong and Mya Harvey both had run-scoring singles in the first and Raegan Boone drove home a tally in the second to make it 3-0.

The Lady Hearts scored two more in the fourth, another in the fifth and wrapped it up with a three-run seventh.

There was even more offense in the second game.

The Green Wave held a 5-4 lead after two innings. But EHS then put together a six-run third to take the lead for good.

Harvey led off with a base hit, Saige Althoff walked and Engel singled to bring home the tying run. With one out, Alyssa Martin dropped a single into centerfield to bring home another run and Boone followed with a two-run single. Before the inning was over, Harvey added another RBI single and the sixth run scored on an error.

Donaldson had another three-hit game and drove him three, while Boone and Engel also had three hits.

Althoff got the win. She went all seven innings, allowing 11 hits and eight runs – just four earned. She walked five and struck out five.

The Lady Hearts improved to 9-4 overall and 4-2 in the Apollo Conference. They will return to action Monday at Glenwood.

It was total domination for the Effingham Lady Hearts Saturday.

On offense, they banged out 25 hits and scored 24 runs.

And on the mound, they allowed only seven hits and zero runs.

The result was a lopsided doubleheader sweep.

Natalie Armstrong tossed a one-hitter in the opener and Saige Althoff followed that with a six-hit performance, helping the Lady Hearts post 15-0 and 9-0 wins in the Apollo Conference twin-bill at Mahomet-Seymour.

Armstrong allowed only one baserunner in her four innings of work. That was a second inning single. She didn’t walk a batter and struck out five.

The Lady Hearts, on the other hand, scored in every inning. They had three runs in the first and one in the second, and then exploded for nine tallies in the third and capped the scoring with a two-run fourth.

Jerzi Bierman, Raegan Boone and Armstrong each had three hits to lead the 15-hit attack. Bierman also drove in five runs, while Madi had three RBI.

Effingham then quickly took control of the nightcap, pushing across six runs in the opening inning. Raegan Boone led off with a base hit, stole second and scored on a single by Sidney Donaldson, the first of her three hits. Mya Harvey added an RBI single and Ryley Engel delivered a two-run double, plus two more runs scored on errors.

That was more than enough for Althoff. She went all seven innings, giving up just one walk and striking out eight.

The Lady Hearts improved to 6-4 overall and 2-2 in conference play. They will play Monday at Hillsboro.

The Effingham Lady Hearts pounded out 19 hits, scored in five of the seven innings and rolled to an 11-5 win Friday at Champaign Central.

Sidney Donaldson and Ryley Engel both had four hits and Natalie Armstrong belted a home run.

Effingham led 5-0 at one time, but the hosts came back to tie the game with a five-run third.

The Lady Hearts took the lead for good with a run in the fourth and then scored three times in the sixth and twice in the seventh to take control.

What proved to be the winning run scored in the fourth inning without a hit. Raegan Boone walked, stole second, stole third and then scooted home on a throwing error by the catcher.

Armstrong started the three-run sixth with a solo home run. Then with two outs, Saige Althoff got a base hit and came around to score on a triple by Madi Kirk. Engel drove home the third run with an RBI double.

In the seventh, Boone singled and scored on a triple by Donaldson. It was her second triple of the game and fourth for the Lady Hearts. Mya Harvey then capped the scoring with a run-scoring single.

Boone, Jerzi Bierman, Armstrong, Harvey and Althoff all had two hits.

Althoff got the win. Armstrong pitched the first three innings, giving up eight hits and five runs. Althoff came on in the fourth and didn’t allow a run the rest of the way. She gave up just three hits, while walking one and striking out three.

Effingham, now 7-4, is scheduled to play an Apollo Conference doubleheader today (Saturday) at Mattoon.

The Effingham Lady Hearts only scored in one inning Monday afternoon, but it proved to be enough.

The Lady Hearts scored six times in the opening frame and then hung on for a 6-5 win at home against the Newton Lady Eagles.

Sidney Donaldson belted a two-run homer and Madi Kirk delivered a bases-clearing double, helping Effingham jump out to the 6-0 lead.

Newton made it close by scoring a pair of runs in the fourth and adding three more in the fifth. But Saige Althoff retired six of the final seven batters to secure the victory.

In that first inning, Raegan Boone got things started with a lead-off triple. With one out, Donaldson blasted the first pitch she saw over the centerfield fence, staking EHS to a 2-0 lead.

Natalie Armstrong and Mya Harvey followed with base hit. With two outs, Ryley Engel reached on an error that loaded the bases. Kirk then came through with a double that brought all three runners home. Alyssa Martin capped the inning with an RBI single to make it 6-0.

Althoff pitched all seven innings. She allowed nine hits and five runs. She didn’t walk a hitter and struck out three.

The Lady Hearts, now 4-4, will return to action Saturday, traveling to Mahomet-Seymour for an Apollo Conference matchup.