Galesburg High School

Galesburg baseball wins fourth consecutive game

Galesburg rode a dominant start from Caden Riley and pushed across two runs in the fourth inning to beat Geneseo 2-1 Wednesday in a Western Big 6 Conference game in Geneseo.

Riley carried a no-hitter into the seventh and worked 6 1/3 innings, allowing one unearned run with two walks and 12 strikeouts. Hayden Ralston relieved him and recorded the final two outs, striking out one.

The Silver Streaks broke a scoreless tie in the fourth. With the bases loaded, Henry Ikrami hit a groundout that brought home Noah Nalley, who had singled. Caleb Claeys followed with another groundout to score Easton Pickrel, who also singled.

Geneseo scored its only run in the seventh, but Galesburg held on for its fourth straight win. The Silver Streaks improved to 6-13 overall and 4-4 in the Western Big 6.

Nicolas Ojeda led Galesburg at the plate, going 3 for 4 with a double. Pickrel, Nalley, Ralston and Alfred Ayala added one hit apiece as the Silver Streaks finished with seven hits.

Galesburg returns to action at 4:30 p.m. April 24 against Limestone in a nonconference game, then resumes conference play April 27 at Moline.

IVC scores twice in seventh to defeat GHS softball

Taylor Lee homered in her first at-bat and Galesburg showed more life offensively, but Illinois Valley Central scored two runs in the seventh inning to hand the Silver Streaks a 5-3 nonconference loss April 22.

Lee went the distance in the circle and also led Galesburg at the plate, finishing 2 for 2 with a home run, two RBIs, two walks and a run scored. Hannah Barton added two hits, while Addison Stanley doubled as the Silver Streaks collected eight hits and six walks.

Galesburg’s Taylor Lee smiles as she trots home after hitting a leadoff home run. (Photo by Loran Lewis/GCN)

Coach Andrea Sampson said the improvement started immediately with Lee at the top of the lineup.

“I was very, very proud that we were able to come out in the first hitting,” Sampson said. “Taylor Lee hit a home run her first at-bat. That was super great. That got our momentum going. I think having her in that leadoff spot gives the rest of the lineup kind of that confidence and that contagious hitting.”

Galesburg took a 1-0 lead in the first on Lee’s solo homer, but IVC answered with one run in the second and two more in the third to go ahead 3-1. The Silver Streaks pulled even in the fourth when Tamryn Davis drove in a run and Lee added another RBI, making it 3-3.

Galesburg third baseman Mavery Bland fields a foul ball in foul territory to retire an Illinois Valley Central batter. (Photo by Loran Lewis/GCN)

Illinois Valley Central broke the tie with two runs in the seventh and held Galesburg scoreless in the bottom half.

The Silver Streaks left 11 runners on base, including missed opportunities before the final inning, but Sampson said the loss could not be pinned on one moment.

“We had multiple opportunities to score in some innings that we didn’t,” she said. “So can’t put it on one person and one play.”

Sampson said getting runners on base and cutting down on strikeouts were encouraging signs.

“We need to get runners on base,” she said. “We went a couple of games there scoreless and not getting runners on base. Or if we did get on base, not moving them. And I thought that we did that well today.”

Sampson also credited a more disciplined approach at the plate.

Galesburg catcher Layla Shepler guards the plate as Illinois Valley Central’s Madeline Bazyn slides home safely, scoring the go-ahead run for the Grey Ghosts. (Photo by Loran Lewis/GCN)

“Our approaches have been different,” she said. “We’ve been talking nonstop about approaches for the last week and what pitches to take and when to take it and which ones to hop on.”

Taylor Zannaker had two hits and scored twice for IVC, while Jensyn Gustafson drove in two runs.

Lee allowed five runs, four earned, on seven hits with three walks and three strikeouts for Galesburg.

The Silver Streaks are 3-16. They host United Township in a Western Big 6 matchup and Macomb on April 24. Both games start at 4:30 p.m.

Carl Sandburg College

Cawley pitches Sandburg baseball past Illinois Valley

Chuck Hathaway stayed hot at the plate and Clayton Cawley delivered his strongest start of the season as Carl Sandburg College rolled past Illinois Valley Community College 13-3 in eight innings April 21.

The Chargers finished with 14 hits and secured the home-and-home series victory over the Eagles after the teams split a doubleheader Monday at Sandburg.

Sandburg jumped in front 4-0 in the first inning. Colton Allen drove in a run with a double, Braley Burford added a sacrifice fly, and Carter Ramsey capped the inning with a two-run single.

Clayton Cawley pitched seven innings for Sandburg in a win over Illinois Valley, allowing three runs and striking out six. (Photo courtesy of Carl Sandburg College)

After Illinois Valley cut the deficit to 5-2, the Chargers broke it open with four runs in the fourth. Damien Snell hit a two-run home run to center field, and Hathaway followed with a solo shot to left.

Hathaway’s homer was his 10th of the season and extended his home run streak to four games. He has hit six home runs in his last six games.

Cawley earned his first win of the season, allowing three runs on six hits over a season-high seven innings. The sophomore right-hander struck out six and walked three.

Ramsey went 3 for 4 with a walk, three RBIs and a stolen base. Snell finished 2 for 4 with a home run, two walks, three runs and two RBIs. Allen went 2 for 4 with a double, two runs and two RBIs, while Hathaway was 2 for 4 with a walk, a double, a home run, three runs and two RBIs. Nathan Hill added two doubles, scored once and drove in a run.

Sandburg hosts Olive-Harvey in a doubleheader starting at noon April 25.

Kishwaukee rallies twice to sweep Sandburg softball

Carl Sandburg College let late leads slip away in two games April 21, falling to visiting Kishwaukee 5-4 and 10-9 in an Arrowhead Conference softball doubleheader.

In the opener, Sandburg broke a scoreless tie in the fourth inning when Emma Racka doubled and Madalynn Knapp followed with a two-run home run for a 2-0 lead. Kishwaukee answered with five runs in the sixth to take a 5-2 lead.

The Chargers made one last push in the bottom of the sixth. Lakinn Larson walked and Jaylynn Hamilton singled before Jordyn Climer lined a two-run single to left, cutting the deficit to 5-4. Sandburg threatened again in the seventh when Knapp doubled with two outs, but the rally ended there.

Climer went the distance in the circle, allowing three earned runs on seven hits and one walk while striking out three. At the plate, she drove in two runs and stole a base. Knapp finished 2 for 4 with a double, a home run and two RBIs, while Hamilton went 2 for 4 with a run. Larson scored once and walked.

Sandburg’s Jordyn Climer went 4 for 8 with four RBIs in a doubleheader against Kishwaukee. (Photo courtesy of Carl Sandburg College)

In the second game, Sandburg scored four times in the first inning on an RBI double by Climer, a run-scoring single from Jalie Eller, an RBI double by Hannah Pyle and an RBI fielder’s choice by Reese Poole.

After Kishwaukee surged ahead 8-5 in the third, the Chargers answered immediately. Payton Ruggles hit a two-run double to center, then scored the tying run on a Hamilton groundout. Sandburg moved back in front in the fourth when Eller singled, advanced to third on Pyle’s double and scored on a Kishwaukee error for a 9-8 lead.

Kishwaukee scored twice in the fifth and held Sandburg scoreless the rest of the way to complete the sweep.

Ruggles led Sandburg in the nightcap, going 2 for 4 with a double, a run and two RBIs. Hamilton was 2 for 4 with two runs and an RBI, while Climer went 2 for 4 with a double, a triple, a run and two RBIs. Eller finished 2 for 4 with two runs and an RBI, Pyle had two doubles and an RBI, and Knapp also collected two hits.

Sandburg’s postponed doubleheader at Illinois Valley from April 16 has been rescheduled for 3 p.m. April 23.