Pleasant Hill makes statement by taking two games from top competition in softball cluster

QUINCY — The message came through loud and clear.

Whichever prep softball team wins the Class 1A Jacksonville Routt Sectional is going to have to earn it.

Pleasant Hill took a pair of games from top competition at the QND Cluster, outlasting Central 6-5 after stymieing the Panthers’ rally from a six-run deficit and then jackhammering Quincy Notre Dame 11-1. Pleasant Hill is seeded second in its sub-sectional behind undefeated Brown County with Illini Bluffs, the No. 1-ranked team in the Illinois Coaches Association state poll, as the top seed in the other sub-sectional.

Against Central, the Wolves jumped ahead early, scoring four times in the first inning and twice more in the second. Ava Wombles had an RBI triple and Harlee DeCamp delivered a two-run single in the first. Wombles and McKinley Lowe had RBI singles in the second.

The Panthers started their comeback in the third as Haley Cramer had an RBI double and Carlie Goehl added a run-scoring triple. In the fourth inning, Claire Huston had an RBI single, Maddie Hamilton followed with an RBI double and Karlee Marlow drove in another run with a two-out single.

Central got the tying run into scoring position with one out in the fifth inning and got a runner to third base with two outs in the sixth inning, but the Panthers couldn’t get either run home.

Wombles finished 3 for 3 as the Wolves collected 12 hits, while Katie Hildebrand and Hamilton had two hits apiece for Central.

Against QND, the Wolves chased Raiders starter Eryn Cornwell after two-thirds of an inning as they scored five runs in the top of the first after Jade Peebles led off the game with a home run and Kali VanStrien hit a two-run homer.

Lowe jacked a two-run homer in the second inning, and VanStrien blasted a three-run homer in the fourth. Cornwell’s RBI double in the first inning accounted for the Raiders’ lone run.

Lowe limited QND to five hits, while striking out five and walking two. VanStrien went 3 for 3 with sixs RBIs as Pleasant Hill had 12 hits.

Central bounced back with a 9-8 victory over Pittsfield in which the Panthers staved off the Saukees’ seventh-inning rally. Central led 9-2, but Pittsfield got a two-run single from Constable and back-to-back RBI singles from Heafner and Peebles to narrow the gap.

A flyout to center field ended the game.

Macie Reuschel went 2 for 3 with three RBIs for the Panthers, while Lauren Miller went 2 for 3 with two runs scored and two RBIs. Henry went 4 for 4 for the Saukees, while Peebles finished 3 for 4.

QND rebounded with a 6-4 victory over Pittsfield. Caitlin Bunte went 3 for 3 with a double and an RBI, while tossing the first 4 ⅔ innings. She allowed one unearned run and three hits, while striking out four and walking one. The Saukees scored three runs in the sixth and got two runners on in the seventh, but Cornwell got a groundout to end the game.

The Raiders are 19-6 overall.