Pitchers’ duel ends with Cyclones ending Raiders’ season in Class 2A regional semifinals

PITTSFIELD, Ill. — One swing changed everything.

Quincy Notre Dame right-hander Abram Wiewel held the second-seeded Springfield Sacred Heart-Griffin baseball team hitless for a 4 ⅓ innings Wednesday in the semifinals of the Class 2A Pittsfield Regional.

Then SHG designated hitter Gage Luttrell blasted a one-ball, one-strike pitch to center field for a solo home run that broke a scoreless tie and propelled the Cyclones to a 3-1 victory.

After 13 consecutive winning seasons, including back-to-back 30-win seasons, and nine consecutive regional title game appearances, the Raiders finish with a 14-15 record and won’t play on championship Saturday.

The Cyclones (21-9) will face either third-seeded Williamsville or fifth-seeded Pittsfield at 11 a.m. Saturday in the regional title game. The Bullets and Saukees are scheduled to meet at 4:30 p.m. Thursday in the other semifinal.

After taking the lead in the bottom of the fifth, SHG extended the lead to 3-0 as a one-out walk led to an RBI double and an RBI single.

The Raiders mounted a rally in the top of the seventh as Nick Spears was hit by a pitch leading off, stole second and scored on Cale Linenfelser’s two-out single. Oliver Triplett followed with a single, but a flyout ended the game.

Wiewel struck out five and walked one over six innings, while Nolan Robb had two of the Raiders’ four hits. SHG’s Andy Antonacci struck out 14 and walked three over 6 ⅔ innings in earning the victory.