GSWB baseball team wins regional championship
The Gardner-South Wilmington Braceville A baseball team won the Regional Championship over Grant Park in five innings, 12-2.
The Lions claim their 2nd straight regional championship and advanced to Monday’s Sectional Championship against St. Anne sporting an 18-9 record.
Hosting their own regional, Lions south-paw Grady Phillips was the starting pitcher for GSWB. Phillips held the Dragons in his 2 innings of work allowing 2 walks and 2 strikeouts on 0 hits.
The Lions gave Phillips all the support he needed in the bottom of the 2nd. The Lions reached on an error, then Rylin Wright-Salmon singled. Fallon Stein would then steal 3rd and scored on a throwing error to put GSWB up 1-0.
With a runner on second base, Chase Chandler was hit by a pitcher to make it 1st and 2nd. Kash Kerner then singled to make it 2-0, followed by a Kash Olsen single to make it 3-0.
Kash Kerner stole home to make it 4-0, followed by a Grady Phillips RBI double to go up 5-0. Keaton Phillips and Fallon Stein each added clutch RBI's to go up 7-0 entering the 3rd.
Keaton Phillips then took the ball for GSWB who held Grant Park's bats quiet. The Lions slowly put the Dragons out of reach as they led 11-0 after 4 innings. Grant Park scored 2 runs in the top of the 5th, but Fallon Stein's RBI single in the 5th scored Grady Phillips for the 12-2 victory. Fallon Stein and Kash Kerner had big days as they each collected a trio of hits while Stein also slapped in 3 runs.
Grady Phillips and Rylin Wright-Salmon each scored 2 runs.
Illinois Lutheran 0
GSWB 10 (5 Innings)
In the semi-final game, Kash Olsen took the ball for the Lions and was dominant. In 3 innings of work, Olsen allowed one base runner on a hit by pitch and allowed 0 hits while striking out 8.
GSWB wasted no time getting support for Olsen, as the 1st 3 hitters for GSWB each singled. With a 2-0 lead, Ryan Male blasted his 1st homerun of the season to give GSWB a 4-0 lead. Fallon Stein then doubled and would scoring on an error by Illinois Lutheran.
In the bottom of the 2nd, Jordan and Olsen each singled again, and Grady Phillips doubled to out GSWB up 7-0. GSWB would then cruise to a 10-0 victory.
Grady Phillips threw in relief and didnt allow any hits, but did walk 2 on 2 strikeouts. Grady Phillips and Mason Jordan each had 3 hits, while Kash Olsen and Ryan Male each had 2 RBI.