Tia Probst had quite a day.

She pitched a three-hitter and drove in two runs, helping the Teutopolis Lady Shoes post a 4-1 win at home over Lincoln in an Apollo Conference softball contest.

Probst shut down the Lady Railers throughout. She allowed just one run, while walking two and striking out eight in her seven innings of work.

She also helped at the plate.

In the first inning, Erin Althoff and Emily Konkel got things going with back-to-back singles. Probst’s ground out drove home the first run.

In the third, Althoff singled and eventually scored on an error. Probst then delivered a two-out RBI double to increase the THS lead to 3-0.

After Lincoln scored in the top of the sixth, T-Town responded in the bottom of the frame. Probst singled, courtesy runner Olivia Copple went to second on a ground ball and then scored on a base hit by Estella Mette.

The Lady Shoes improved to 7-4 overall and 1-1 in the Apollo Conference. They will return to action Friday with a home game against Salt Fork and play at home again Saturday, facing Mt. Zion in another conference game.

By Steve Raymond

ET Sports Report

There was something very familiar, and at the same time quite different, about seeing Crystal Tipton at the annual Cross Creek Classic.

Along with Rich Niebrugge, she was instrumental in starting the annual event, which has turned into a popular softball match-up between “cross creek rivals” Teutopolis and St. Anthony.

But since 2013, Tipton was dressed in different colors and coaching out of a different dugout as coach of the Lady Bulldogs.

Friday night, however, was totally different.

This time, Tipton was decked out in navy blue and gold and leading the squad from Teutopolis, having taken over that softball program when Niebrugge retired following the 2019 season after guiding the Lady Shoes for 17 years.

She is now 1-0 in her new position, after her Lady Shoes pounded out 15 hits and posted a 14-6 victory under the lights at Evergreen Hollow Park.

“It’s easy to get up for this game,” Tipton admitted. “It was definitely emotional for me. I know most of the girls on St. Anthony. I worked with several of them since they were little. But I’m very happy where I’m at and what we’ve got here in Teutopolis.”

And she was happy early and often Friday night.

Read more ...

Emily Konkel and Kaylee Niebrugge both had three hits and two RBI Saturday, leading the Teutopolis Lady Shoes to a 4-2 win at Vandalia.

And Courtney Gibson turned in a strong, seven-inning pitching performance, as the Lady Shoes followed Friday night’s Cross Creek Classic victory with another ‘W’.

T-Town took an early lead with a run in the first. Erin Althoff reached on an error and came around to score when Konkel delivered the first of her two run-scoring doubles in the game.

It stayed a 1-0 game until the fifth. With one out, Althoff ripped a triple and trotted home when Konkel got her second RBI double. With two out, Kaylee Niebrugge came through with a base hit that drove home Konkel and made it 3-0.

The Lady Shoes added their final tally in the seventh. Konkel walked, Lexie Niebrugge singled and Kaylee Niebrugge came through again with another two-out run-scoring single.

Gibson took a shutout into the bottom of the seventh. Vandalia pushed across a couple runs, combining two walks, an error and a couple wild pitches. But the Lady Shoes turned a double play to end the threat. Gibson allowed seven hits in her complete game. She walked six and struck out four.

Teutopolis improved to 6-4. The Lady Shoes will return home for an Apollo Conference game Tuesday with Lincoln.

Tia Probst and Courtney Gibson combined to toss a one-hitter, their teammates scored five runs in the opening inning and the Teutopolis Lady Shoes rolled to a 10-0 softball victory at home Thursday over Dieterich.

Probst pitched the first two innings and Gibson took care of the final three frames to get the win. Probst allowed the one hit, a one-out single by Madilyn Brummer in the first inning, and struck out five. Gibson allowed a walk and a hit batsman in her three innings of work.

The Lady Shoes scored all the runs they needed in the opening inning, collecting five of their 10 hits and pushing five runs across the plate.

Emily Konkel got things started with a one-out single. She stole second and third base and scored on an error. Before the inning was over, Kaylee Niebrugge had an RBI triple, Estella Mette and Anna Buhnerkempe added run-scoring singles and another run scored on a wild pitch.

The Lady Shoes scored a single tally in the third when Lexie Niebrugge led off with a home run, added another run in the fourth and then ended the game with a three-run fifth. Buhnerkempe drove in one with a base hit and Mallory Stone then blasted a pitch over the leftfield fence for a game-ending two-run homer.

T-Town improved to 4-4. The Lady Shoes will now play in the Cross Creek Classic Friday. They will face St. Anthony, beginning at 7 p.m. at Evergreen Hollow Park in Effingham. They will then travel to Vandalia on Saturday.