Shane Hulsey, Sports Writer
May 17, 2025 | By Shane Hulsey, Sports Writer
QUINCY — On Friday, redemption was spelled “Q-N-D.” Ten days after losing to Quincy High School 10-0, the Quincy Notre Dame baseball team exacted crosstown revenge by beating the Blue Devils 9-6 on Friday. “We really needed this,” QND junior catcher and right-handed pitcher Oliver Triplett said. Triplett’s tightrope act in the bottom of the…
Read Full Article May 17, 2025 | By Shane Hulsey, Sports Writer
CAMP POINT, Ill. — Dakota Neisen is no stranger to high expectations, which gives promise to the belief that his transition into his first full-time head coaching job will be a seamless one. Neisen, a Liberty High School graduate, has spent the last five seasons as an assistant for Illinois Basketball Coaches Association Hall of…
Read Full Article May 16, 2025 | By Shane Hulsey, Sports Writer
QUINCY — Quincy Notre Dame freshman infielder Kaden Marth hit the first home run of his high school career in the seventh inning of a 9-6 victory over Quincy High School on Friday. Oliver Triplett escaped a bases-loaded jam in the bottom of the seventh by striking out Jacob Salisbury to end the game. Muddy…
Read Full Article May 16, 2025 | By Shane Hulsey, Sports Writer
LIBERTY, Ill. — Ally Lefringhouse’s home run sparked the Liberty softball team’s comeback, Chandler John’s homer completed it, and Claire Obert’s slam put an exclamation point on it. Lefringhouse got the Eagles within a run with a solo blast in the bottom of the third inning, John gave the Eagles a one-run lead with her…
Read Full Article May 15, 2025 | By Shane Hulsey, Sports Writer
LIBERTY, Ill. — The Liberty softball team belted three home runs, including a grand slam by sophomore first baseman Claire Obert in the sixth inning, in a 12-7 victory over Pittsfield on Thursday. Muddy River Sports Writer Shane Hulsey captured these images from the Liberty softball field.
Read Full Article May 15, 2025 | By Shane Hulsey, Sports Writer
RUSHVILLE, Ill. — Central-Southeastern track coach Brad Dixon is about to have a busy week, but he doesn’t mind. “It’s going to be a heck of a lot of fun next week,” Dixon said. Dixon can have fun because at Wednesday’s Class 1A Rushville-Industry Sectional, the Panthers captured their first sectional title since 2005 and…
Read Full Article May 15, 2025 | By Shane Hulsey, Sports Writer
Here is the area scoreboard for Wednesday, May 14: Prep baseball Illini West 8, Orion 7 Liberty 15, Pleasant Hill/Western 0 Macomb 5, Beardstown 3 Winchester West Central 1, Mendon Unity 0 Kirksville 10, Palmyra 0 Rock Island Alleman 4, Quincy High School 2 Prep softball Quincy Notre Dame 10, Camp Point Central 8 Quincy…
Read Full Article May 14, 2025 | By Shane Hulsey, Sports Writer
Several area athletes earned berths to the Class 1A state track and field championships at Wednesday’s Rushville-Industry Sectional. Here is a list of state qualifiers from that meet: 100 meters 200 meters 400 meters 800 meters 1600 meters 3200 meters 100-meter hurdles 300-meter hurdles 4×100-meter relay 4×200-meter relay 4×400-meter relay 4×800-meter relay Shot Put Discus…
Read Full Article May 13, 2025 | By Shane Hulsey, Sports Writer
LIBERTY, Ill. — After the bottom of the first inning in which the Pittsfield baseball team gave up four runs and fell behind Liberty 4-2, Saukees coach Zach Ferguson gathered his team in front of their third-base dugout. Ferguson did not disclose exactly what he said to his troops. Rather, he gave the PG version.…
Read Full Article May 13, 2025 | By Shane Hulsey, Sports Writer
CARTHAGE, Ill. — The Illini West baseball team got back to its winning ways on Tuesday, and a big third inning was the catalyst in doing so. Trailing Beardstown 4-3 entering the bottom of the third, the Chargers cashed in six runs to take a 9-4 lead and never looked back, tacking on five more…
Read Full Article May 13, 2025 | By Shane Hulsey, Sports Writer
LIBERTY, Ill. — The Pittsfield baseball team rebounded from a slow start and scored eight unanswered runs two different times to beat Liberty 18-7 on Tuesday. With victories in their final two regular season games, the Saukees (18-10) can reach 20 wins for the fourth year in a row. Muddy River Sports Writer Shane Hulsey…
Read Full Article May 13, 2025 | By Shane Hulsey, Sports Writer
HANNIBAL, Mo. — The South Shelby boys golf team has been agonizingly close to qualifying for the Missouri state tournament the last two seasons, missing out by one stroke each time. The golf gods were on the Cardinals’ side on Monday. South Shelby posted a team score of 328 at Monday’s Class 2 District 2…
Read Full Article May 13, 2025 | By Shane Hulsey, Sports Writer
QUINCY — Quincy High School baseball coach Rick Lawson did not have to do much more in the third base coaches’ box than wave his right arm in a circle to send baserunner after baserunner home. The Blue Devils cranked out 22 hits and scored eight runs in two different innings in a 17-2 rout…
Read Full Article May 13, 2025 | By Shane Hulsey, Sports Writer
HANNIBAL, Mo. — Jonas Janes and the Palmyra boys golf team have unfinished business. “Oh, 100 percent,” Janes said. The Panthers have the chance to make amends for what could have been last season. Palmyra qualified Monday for the Missouri Class 2 state tournament by tying for the top spot with South Shelby at the…
Read Full Article May 13, 2025 | By Shane Hulsey, Sports Writer
HANNIBAL, Mo. — The South Shelby and Palmyra boys golf teams each posted scores of 328 at Monday’s Class 2 District 2 tournament at Norwoods Golf Club to qualify for the state tournament, which will take place May 19 and 20 at Sedalia Country Club. Noah Wilt, Carson Gough, Eli Hatcher, and Titus Moore each…
Read Full Article May 13, 2025 | By Shane Hulsey, Sports Writer
QUINCY — The Quincy High School baseball team pounded out 22 hits and moved to within one victory of .500 in a 17-2 Western Big 6 Conference victory over Rock Island Alleman on Monday. Five different Blue Devils had three or more hits, and every player in the starting lineup had a hit and either…
Read Full Article May 12, 2025 | By Shane Hulsey, Sports Writer
Shane Hulsey talks to those sluggling Saukees, the Henry sisters, in this special Schuck on a Truck/Shane in the Fast Lane edition. Thanks to Shottenkirk Toyota for its sponsorship.
Read Full Article May 11, 2025 | By Shane Hulsey, Sports Writer
QUINCY — The fourth annual Muddy River Showcase on Saturday, June 21, will pit the top seniors from Illinois and Missouri in a basketball all-star setting. The girls game begins at 2 p.m. with the boys game to follow at 4 p.m. at John Wood Community College’s Student Activity Center. Before the players are named,…
Read Full Article May 10, 2025 | By Shane Hulsey, Sports Writer
QUINCY — Kamryn Hlubek loves her mother dearly, but she may have to tell her mom to watch the Quincy softball team’s games from somewhere besides the ballpark. Kamryn, a freshman outfielder for the Blue Devils, hit her first career home run — a solo blast in the third inning of a 13-3 mercy rule…
Read Full Article May 10, 2025 | By Shane Hulsey, Sports Writer
QUINCY — Just call Chase Saalborn “The Fireman.” In his first varsity start, the junior right-hander extinguished Payson Seymour’s offense by tossing a five-inning, complete-game shutout in the Blue Devils’ 10-0 victory on Saturday. As Saalborn watched from the dugout while the Blue Devils scored six runs in the bottom of the fifth to put…
Read Full Article May 10, 2025 | By Shane Hulsey, Sports Writer
QUINCY — The Quincy High School baseball team defeated Payson Seymour 10-0, and the softball team won both games of a doubleheader with Granite City by scores of 13-3 and 17-7 on Saturday. Muddy River Sports Writer Shane Hulsey captured these images from the baseball and softball diamonds.
Read Full Article May 10, 2025 | By Shane Hulsey, Sports Writer
QUINCY — Quincy Notre Dame senior Madalyn Boyer scored the winning run from second base as Morgan Winking legged out an infield single to with two outs in the sixth inning to help QND beat Beardstown 3-2 on Friday. Muddy River Sports Writer Shane Hulsey captured these images at The Backyard.
Read Full Article May 10, 2025 | By Shane Hulsey, Sports Writer
Here is the area scoreboard for Friday, May 9: Prep baseball Payson Seymour 2, Mendon Unity 1 Greenfield/Northwestern 9, Camp Point Central 7 Highland 4, Marceline 4 Palmyra 21, Highland 6 Liberty 13, Lutheran 3 Macomb 8, West Hancock 0 Monroe City 14, Van-Far 8 Petersburg PORTA 9, Pittsfield 7 Prep softball Quincy Notre Dame…
Read Full Article May 9, 2025 | By Shane Hulsey, Sports Writer
HAMILTON, Ill. — West Hancock senior third baseman Grayson Conkright hit a three-run home run and reached base four times, and his brother, junior Layton Conkright, had two RBIs and pitched the final 3⅔ innings to earn the save in a 9-4 victory over Quincy Notre Dame on Thursday. Muddy River Sports Writer Shane Hulsey…
Read Full Article May 9, 2025 | By Shane Hulsey, Sports Writer
HAMILTON, Ill. — Layton Conkright’s exuberance after the final out encapsulated what Thursday’s 9-4 victory over Quincy Notre Dame meant to him and the West Hancock baseball program. After Conkright got Logan Sutton to ground out to end the game, Conkright pumped his fists, let out a roar that was probably audible from Warsaw and…
Read Full Article May 7, 2025 | By Shane Hulsey, Sports Writer
QUINCY — James Day doesn’t necessarily want to take his AP Government test again, but if it helps him pitch like he did on Tuesday, he gladly would. About an hour before his scheduled start against Quincy Notre Dame, Day, a junior at Quincy High School, finished the test he needs to pass to earn…
Read Full Article May 7, 2025 | By Shane Hulsey, Sports Writer
QUINCY — Roman Harrison had not started a game in three years, but when the opportunity to do so presented itself on March 17, he took it and has run with it since. Harrison, a junior left-handed pitcher for Quincy University, sat in the bullpen awaiting the second game of the Hawks’ doubleheader against 18th-ranked…
Read Full Article May 7, 2025 | By Shane Hulsey, Sports Writer
QUINCY — Mason Dent and Nate Konrad hit home runs and the Quincy High School baseball team cranked out 12 hits in a dominant 10-0 victory over Quincy Notre Dame at Ferd Niemann Jr. Memorial Ballfield on Tuesday. Muddy River Sports Writer Shane Hulsey captured these images from the crosstown showdown.
Read Full Article May 6, 2025 | By Shane Hulsey, Sports Writer
QUINCY — Ellison Barnes practiced what Quincy Notre Dame girls soccer coach Mark Thomas has preached, and it gave the Raiders a chance against Springfield on Monday at Advance Physical Therapy Field. With the Raiders trailing the Senators 2-0 and five minutes left in the second half, Barnes, a junior forward and midfielder, made a…
Read Full Article May 6, 2025 | By Shane Hulsey, Sports Writer
QUINCY — Rich Polak, the Quincy Notre Dame baseball coach, had seen it coming for the last four months. He helps train Raiders junior outfielder Weston Reyburn during the offseason. “Going into the season, he’d never even had an extra base hit,” Polak said. “He put on 20 pounds of muscle. I said, ‘Listen, you’re…
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