Pleasant Plains’ Lowder ties up Pittsfield by tossing three-hit shutout in regional title game

RIVERTON, Ill. — The Pittsfield baseball team couldn’t figure out how to make Pleasant Plains pitcher Seth Lowder regret making a mistake.

Truth be told, Lowder rarely made a miscue.

The senior right-hander handcuffed the Saukees throughout Saturday’s Class 2A Riverton Sectional championship, tossing a three-hit shutout as the Cardinals won 4-0 to repeat as regional champions.

Lowder, who came into the title game with a 0.69 ERA in 51 innings, retired the first eight batters he faced before hitting Jacob Hull with a pitch. Luke Saxe followed with a two-out single in the third inning, but Lowder struck out Pittsfield’s Kaden Ferguson to end the threat.

The Saukees pushed only one other runner as far as second base with Hayden Gratton doubling with one out in the sixth.

Pleasant Plains took the lead in third with a two-out rally. Cooper Schallenberg singled to put runners at the corners, Charlie Severino was hit by a pitch and Trager Shultz walked to force in the first run. Drew Green walked to force in the second run.

In the fourth, the Cardinals’ Zach Ponce walked leading off, went to second on a sacrifice bunt and scored on Andrew Potthoff’s single. In the fifth, a leadoff double and a one-out single put runners at the corners before Shultz stole home to give Pleasant Plains a 4-0 lead.

Pleasant Plains (30-7) will face Auburn at 4:30 p.m. Wednesday in the semifinals of the Class 2A Pleasant Plains Sectional. Pittsfield ends its season with a 22-11 record.