The Lady Hearts led in both contests.

In the first game, it was a 4-1 advantage in the fifth. EHS scored single tallies in the first and fourth and then got a two-run homer by Mya Harvey in the top of the fifth.

SAHS then began chipping away at that lead in the bottom of the fifth. Stacie Vonderheide reached on an error and Julia Schultz drew a one-out walk. Lily Gannaway then lined a double to the rightfield fence. Vonderheide scored, but Schultz was thrown out at the plate.

With runners at first and third base and two outs in the bottom of the sixth, Vonderheide narrowly missed a three-run homer. Her drive hit off the fence and drove in both runners to tie the game at 4-4.

In the seventh, Schultz led off with a double. After Gannaway flied out, Wernsing ripped an 0-1 pitch into leftfield and Schultz raced home with the game-winning run.

Saige Althoff pitched a strong game, but took the loss for Effingham. She allowed nine hits and five runs, while walking one and striking out six.

Wernsing came on in relief in the sixth inning and got the win. She allowed just one hit over two scoreless innings and struck out one. Sydney Kibler started and pitched the first five innings.

The Lady Hearts held a 6-3 lead after two innings in the second game. Harvey had a two-run single in the opening inning and Jerzi Bierman belted a two-run homer as part of a four-run second. Gannaway’s two-run homer had given St. Anthony a brief 3-2 lead in the top of the second.

The Lady Bulldogs then took control with a six-run fourth – and used the long ball to do so.

Schultz singled and Gannaway doubled to get things started and Hailey Niebrugge blasted a three-run homer. After Sydney Kibler singled, Maddie Kibler followed with a two-run shot and Stacie Vonderheide made it three homers in the inning – and back-to-back blasts – belting a pitch over the rightfield fence to put SAHS on top, 9-6.

Both teams scored single tallies in the fifth and St. Anthony wrapped it up with a seven-run sixth. The Lady Bulldogs combined eight hits and an error. That included their fifth round-tripper of the game, including Maddie Kibler’s second, a solo shot. She added an RBI single later in the inning.

Maddie Kibler paced the 23-hit attack, going 4-for-4 and finishing with four RBI, while Hailey Niebrugge had three hits and drove in five runs. Vonderheide, Schultz and Gannaway also had three hits.

This time, Sydney Kibler got the win in relief. She took over in the third and pitched the final four innings. She gave up four hits and one run. Wernsing was the starter.

Natalie Armstrong took the loss. She went four innings, allowing 13 hits and nine runs. She walked one and struck out two.

The Lady Hearts are now 19-9 on the season, while the Lady Bulldogs improved to 25-2.

The two teams will wrap up their three-game series today (Friday) at 4 p.m. The game will be played at St. Anthony High School.