The Galesburg girls soccer team turned a one-goal halftime lead into a comfortable win May 12, scoring three times in the second half to beat Macomb 4-1 in a nonconference match.
Haleigh Jezek-Irle scored three goals and added an assist for the Silver Streaks, while Grace Hansen had a goal and an assist. Addison McCurry also had an assist for Galesburg, which led 1-0 at halftime before pulling away.
Coach Jessica Jones said the Silver Streaks needed some time to break through before making adjustments at halftime.
“We made a couple of tweaks at halftime, and the other three went in,” Jones said. “It’s so nice as a coach to watch them take things that we’ve talked about and put them into action and then find success.”
The win also pushed Galesburg past the program record for goals in a season. Jones said the team entered the match near the school record and finished the night with 61 goals, surpassing the previous mark of 59.
Galesburg controlled much of the match, finishing with a 4-1 advantage in corner kicks. Macomb’s goal came late in the second half.
Junior Jamie Jezek-Irle said one key adjustment was moving Grace Hansen forward from center back into an attacking midfield role, which allowed Galesburg to create more options in the offensive half.
“That really helped us because it gives Haleigh and Grace — they can pass to each other — and there’s somebody to give the ball to once it’s on the offensive half of the field,” Jamie Jezek-Irle said.
She said the Silver Streaks were able to maintain their defensive shape while adding pressure up front.
“We dominated,” she said. “Having the two of us in the midfield plus someone up top that we can pass to, like Haleigh, to really finish those balls, it’s really helpful.”
Jones said the result was especially encouraging after Galesburg had traveled for a match the previous night. The Silver Streaks also were without midfielder Lear Harrison, who Jones said was out with food poisoning.
“Seeing them find the net was fantastic,” Jones said.
Macomb’s Taylor Mann scored for the Bombers.
The victory improved the Silver Streaks to 10-9-1, while Macomb fell to 3-9-2.
Alleman scored four first-half goals and blanked the visiting Galesburg girls soccer team 5-0 in a Western Big 6 Conference match May 11.
The first-place Pioneers improved to 6-1 in the conference and 10-7 overall. The Silver Streaks fell to 1-6 in the Western Big 6.
Galesburg hosts Peoria Christian at 4:30 p.m. May 14.
The Silver Streaks are seeded No. 6 in the Class 2A regional quarterfinals feeding into the Morton Sectional. Galesburg will play No. 3 Dunlap at 6:30 p.m. May 19.
TJ Heatherly struck out six over six innings, and Galesburg scored twice in the seventh inning to pull away for a 4-1 Western Big 6 Conference baseball win over Sterling on May 11.
Heatherly allowed one earned run on five hits and three walks for the Silver Streaks. Caden Riley finished with a perfect inning of relief, striking out two of the three batters he faced.
Galesburg broke a scoreless tie with two runs in the fourth inning, then added two more in the seventh. Sterling scored its only run in the fifth.
The Silver Streaks finished with nine hits and no errors. Grady Hickey went 2-for-3 with a double and two RBIs, while Riley was 2-for-3 with a double and a run scored. Hayden Ralston added a double, a run and an RBI, and Noah Nalley drove in a run.
Alfred Ayala singled, walked, scored and stole a base for Galesburg. Henry Ikrami and Drew Hickey each added a hit.
Galesburg improved to 11-18 with the win, its fourth victory in five games. The Silver Streaks are 7-6 and in fourth place in the Western Big 6.
Sterling comes to Galesburg on May 13. The Streaks are at Geneseo on May 14 and Kewanee on May 15. All games begin at 4:30 p.m.
Galesburg’s softball team was held to six hits over two games as the Silver Streaks dropped back-to-back road games to East Peoria and Alleman.
East Peoria scored in each of the first four innings May 11 and shut out Galesburg 9-0 in a nonconference game. The Raiders scored two runs in the first inning, two in the second, one in the third, three in the fourth and one in the sixth.
Galesburg had four hits in the loss, with Evelin Guel, Hannah Barton, Mary Moore and Taylor Lee each recording one. Guel and Moore each stole a base.
Avayah Bridgewater pitched six innings for the Silver Streaks, allowing nine runs, seven earned, on eight hits. She walked five and struck out two. Galesburg committed two errors and left six runners on base.
The Silver Streaks returned to the field May 12 and lost 5-1 to Alleman in a Western Big 6 Conference game at Rock Island.
Alleman scored single runs in the first and second innings, added two runs in the fourth and one in the sixth to take a 5-0 lead. Galesburg avoided the shutout with a run in the seventh.
Guel and Moore had Galesburg’s two hits against Alleman. Guel scored the Silver Streaks’ lone run, and Tamryn Davis drove it in. Galesburg drew three walks but left five runners on base.
Lee pitched six innings for Galesburg, allowing five runs, four earned, on six hits. She walked two and struck out three.
Alysa Brinkman led Alleman, going 2-for-2 with a double and three RBIs. Callie Forest pitched a complete game for the Pioneers, allowing one run on two hits. She walked three and struck out five.
Galesburg fell to 5-23 overall and 1-11 in the conference after the Alleman loss. East Peoria improved to 19-8 with its win over the Silver Streaks. Alleman improved to 6-17.
Galesburg is scheduled to play at Rock Island at 4:30 p.m. May 14.
Quincy won both singles matches and swept doubles play to defeat visiting Galesburg 5-0 in a Western Big 6 Conference boys tennis meet May 11.
Marshall Mayfield defeated Jeremiah Lee 6-1, 6-1 at No. 1 singles, and Charlie Strong beat Isaac Jones-Rhoades 6-1, 6-0 at No. 2 singles.
In doubles, Ethan Stark and Surya Reddy topped Mohamed Shehata and Carter Bohm 6-4, 6-0 at No. 1 doubles. Drake Dodd and Quinn Stalder defeated Mahmoud Shehata and Carson Stecher 6-0, 6-1 at No. 2 doubles.
Jimmy Derian and Anish Podaralla completed the sweep for Quincy with a 6-2, 6-1 win over Jackson Warren and Trayson McVey at No. 3 doubles.
The Western Big 6 Conference championships begin at 1 p.m. May 15 at Quincy’s Reservoir Park. Play continues at 9 a.m. May 16.
The Sandburg softball team’s top two hitters during the Arrowhead Conference season were voted to this year’s all-conference team by league coaches.
Sophomore Hannah Pyle earned All-Arrowhead honors for the second consecutive season, and she was joined on this year’s squad by freshman Madalynn Knapp.
In 61 plate appearances over 18 conference games, Pyle, an infielder from Economy, Indiana, led the Chargers with three home runs, 19 RBIs, 40 total bases, 25 hits and a .678 slugging percentage. Pyle was second to Knapp with a .424 batting average, 1.104 OPS, four doubles and eight extra-base hits against Arrowhead opponents.
Knapp, a freshman outfielder from Gladstone, made significant contributions in her first season at Sandburg. In 60 plate appearances against Arrowhead pitching, the Burlington, Iowa, Notre Dame High School graduate led the Chargers with a .439 batting average, .467 on-base percentage, 1.133 OPS, 25 hits, 17 runs, eight doubles and 10 extra-base hits.
Knapp finished second to Pyle on the team with a .667 slugging percentage, 11 RBIs and 38 total bases. She also was 3 for 3 in stolen bases.
The Carl Sandburg College women’s golf team teed off May 12 at the Ol’ Colony Golf Complex in Tuscaloosa, Alabama.
The Chargers qualified for the three-day NJCAA Division II Women’s Golf Championship after taking second place in the Central District Championship at Shawnee, Oklahoma.
It is the second straight year and fourth time overall Sandburg has qualified for the national tournament. The Chargers previously qualified in 2019, 2023 and 2025.
Team members include Anna Carroll, Jessica Schultz, Olivia Seei, Abigail Strode and Allie Thome.
