Posts Tagged ‘Quincy Notre Dame’
‘They were just the better team today’: Columbia ends QND’s season in Class 1A super-sectional
VIRDEN, Ill. — Makayla Patton, Sage Stratton and the Quincy Notre Dame girls soccer team’s state dreams were dashed one victory shy of the final four on Saturday, but the sting of a 6-1 loss to Columbia in the Class 1A North Mac Super-Sectional did not hurt as bad as it could have, thanks in…
Read MoreQND tandem of Dyer and Strong finish in top 16 at Class 1A boys tennis state tournament
PALATINE, Ill. — Daniel Dyer and Alex Strong made a name for themselves as they walked off the high school tennis stage. Quincy Notre Dame’s No. 1 doubles team was one of the last 16 duos remaining in the Class 1A boys state tennis tournament bracket. They earned all-state honors after winning their first match…
Read MoreQND’s Dyer and Strong win first two matches at state tennis tourney, stay alive heading into second day
PALATINE, Ill. — Daniel Dyer and Alex Strong are making their return to the Class 1A boys tennis state tournament last as long as possible. The Quincy Notre Dame No. 1 doubles team won two of its three matches Thursday and are one of 24 duos still alive heading into the second day of the…
Read More‘The highlight of my year’: Thomas sisters elated for QND girls soccer team to eliminate SHG in sectional
GREENVILLE, Ill. — For how much beating Springfield Sacred Heart-Griffin means to the Quincy Notre Dame girls soccer team, look no further than Sierra and Alena Thomas’ thoughts on that subject. “Sometimes I feel like our team wants to beat them more than we want to beat (Quincy High School), honestly,” said Sierra Thomas, a…
Read MoreQND softball team can’t get critical hit in Class 2A sectional semifinal setback to Williamsville
MACOMB, Ill. — The outcome came down to one crucial difference. The Williamsville softball team put two hits together in the same inning to plate a run. Quincy Notre Dame didn’t. With scoring chances limited as QND’s Caitlin Bunte and Williamsville’s Izzy Nowack engaged in a pitchers’ duel, one run loomed large as the Bullets…
Read MorePhoto Gallery: QND girls soccer team advances to first super-sectional since state championship season
GREENVILLE, Ill. — Sierra Thomas’ goal in the 12th minute stood up as the only goal in the Raiders’ 1-0 victory over Springfield Sacred Heart-Griffin in Tuesday’s Class 1A Greenville Sectional championship game. This was the Raiders’ first victory over the Cyclones since beating them 3-2 in the 2022 sectional title game on their way…
Read MoreQND baseball team overmatched by Sacred Heart-Griffin pitcher in 3-0 loss in regional championship
QUINCY – Springfield Sacred Heart-Griffin pitcher Andy Antonacci was confident striding off the mound after striking out the side in the top of the first inning. “Some days I feel like I just get in a groove, and from there I don’t feel or hear anything. I just go out and throw,” he said. “Today…
Read MorePhoto Gallery: Raiders can’t get runner past first base, strike out 10 times as season ends at 19-11
Sacred Heart-Griffin’s Nick Antonacci tossed a no-hitter and struck out 10 batters in Saturday’s Class 2A regional championship game against Quincy Notre Dame on Saturday in Quincy. He issued three walks and hit a batter, but he didn’t allow a runner to advance beyond first base. The closest QND came to a hit was in…
Read More‘Did that really just happen?’ QND freshman scores her first varsity goal for memorable moment in sectional
GREENVILLE, Ill. — Abby Miller’s reaction was equal parts shock and excitement. Given just a handful of minutes in the second half of Friday’s Class 1A Greenville Sectional semifinal game, the Quincy Notre Dame freshman forward made the most of her opportunity in the 51st minute. With QND and Alton Marquette tied at one, Miller…
Read MoreBunte sets tone on mound, at plate in first inning as Notre Dame beats Tri-City in regional finals
QUINCY — The momentum swing was quick and quite obvious. Right after Quincy Notre Dame softball pitcher Caitlin Bunte worked out of a bases-loaded situation in the top of the first inning, she led off for the Raiders in their first at-bat. One swing later, Bunte’s left-handed stroke sent a pitch from Tri-City’s Lily Woodworth…
Read MoreQND doubles team of Dyer and Strong secure return to Class 1A state tennis tournament
JACKSONVILLE, Ill. — Daniel Dyer and Alex Strong are getting the chance to outdo themselves. The Quincy Notre Dame boys tennis team’s No. 1 doubles tandem won a pair of matches Friday at the Class 1A Jacksonville Sectional to reach the semifinals and earn a spot in the state tournament, which begins May 29 in…
Read MorePhoto Gallery: Two goals four minutes apart in second half propel Raiders past Alton Marquette
GREENVILLE, Ill. — The Quincy Notre Dame girls soccer team scored three unanswered goals in the second half to beat Alton Marquette 3-1 in Friday’s Class 1A Greenville Sectional semifinal. Muddy River Sports Writer Shane Hulsey captured these images at Don Stout Field.
Read MorePhoto Gallery: Pair of homers help Raiders rack up sixth consecutive regional championship
Lauren Miller and Caitlin Bunte both homered for the Quincy Notre Dame softball team in Friday night’s 5-1 victory over Buffalo Tri-City in the Class 2A regional championship game at The Backyard. The regional title is Notre Dame’s sixth straight, and Tri-City was denied its first title since 2022. QND has won 11 straight games…
Read MoreQuick as a Wink: Double play by center fielder helps QND softball team outlast Pittsfield
QUINCY — Morgan Winking’s first concern was to simply catch a fly ball. Gunning down a baserunner by doubling her off first base, however, proved to be the play that sealed Quincy Notre Dame’s victory on Wednesday night. Winking’s double play combination with first baseman Morgan Zanger in the top of the sixth inning ruined…
Read MoreLahr takes care of business on mound, at bat as QND snares shutout victory in regional baseball semifinal
QUINCY – Bradi Lahr picked an opportune time for his best pitching performance of the season. The junior right-hander scattered five hits and struck out 11 in going the distance Wednesday night as Quincy Notre Dame pulled away late for a 7-0 victory over Petersburg PORTA in the semifinals of the Class 2A regional tournament…
Read MorePhoto Gallery: Four-run sixth inning gives Raiders breathing room as they earn rematch Saturday with SHG
Quincy Notre Dame scored four runs in the sixth inning to pull away late for a 7-0 victory over Petersburg PORTA on Wednesday night in the semifinals of the Class 2A regional tournament at Ferd Niemann Jr. Memorial Ballfield. The third-seeded Raiders improved to 19-10 and earned a date against second-seeded Springfield Sacred Heart-Griffin in…
Read MorePhoto Gallery: Dominant Bunte allows two hits, one walk to help Raiders reach regional title game
Quincy Notre Dame’s Caitlin Bunte was dominant in the circle on Wednesday afternoon, allowing just two hits and walking one to collect a 2-1 victory over Pittsfield in the Class 2A regional semifinals at the Backyard. She gave up one unearned run to a team that had scored 299 runs in 30 games before Wednesday.…
Read MoreWith Class 1A regional championship in bag, real work about to begin for QND girls soccer team
QUINCY – Members of the Quincy Notre Dame girls soccer team were all smiles as they took turns posing for pictures with the regional championship plaque in front of the north goal at Advance Physical Therapy Field. Earning another piece of hardware for the school’s already bulging trophy case was worth celebrating, especially for the…
Read MorePhoto Gallery: Flesch, Patton both record hat tricks in Raiders’ regional championship victory
Addie Flesch and Makayla Patton both scored three goals in Quincy Notre Dame’s 9-0 victory over Hillsboro in the Class 1A regional championship game on Tuesday afternoon at Advance Physical Therapy Field. QND advances to face Alton Marquette – a 6-0 winner Tuesday over Carlinville – at 4:30 p.m. Friday in the semifinals of the…
Read MorePositive reinforcement: Wiewel’s strength, poise and leadership leads to remarkable results
QUINCY — The voice Abram Wiewel hears when he steps into the batter’s box is the same one he listens to when he stands atop the pitcher’s mound. It’s his own. However, the message varies. “My hitting and pitching mentalities are kind of polar opposites,” said the senior stalwart on the Quincy Notre Dame baseball…
Read MoreTriplett survives tightrope walk, leaves bases loaded in seventh as QND baseball team turns tables on QHS
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 MorePhoto Gallery: Marth hits first QND home run to pad Raiders’ lead in victory over Blue Devils
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 MoreThomas hopes demanding schedule has QND girls soccer team primed for postseason success
QUINCY — Mark Thomas hopes a difficult regular season schedule has prepared his girls soccer team at Quincy Notre Dame for a potentially successful postseason run. However, he knew that getting his team to forget Monday’s 5-0 loss to Pleasant Plains in the regular-season finale would still be difficult — especially when the Raiders and…
Read MoreQuincy Notre Dame finishes unbeaten in WCC after outlasting Central in eventful nine-inning softball game
CAMP POINT, Ill. — Whew! That major exhale heard shortly before dusk Wednesday four miles northeast of Camp Point was compliments of Quincy Notre Dame softball coach Eric Orne. QND extended its win streak to 10 games but not before dodging several sizable upset-minded bullets from longtime rival Central on a breezy, 83-degree sun-swept afternoon…
Read MorePhoto Gallery: Orne picks up 650th victory on softball diamond in 27th season at Notre Dame
CAMP POINT, Ill. — Quincy Notre Dame’s 10-8, nine-inning victory on Wednesday over Central featured the two schools combining for eight runs in the ninth inning. The teams combined for 18 runs, 22 hits, eight walks and numerous wild pitches and passed balls. Fifteen players were credited with hits. QND’s victory was the 650th in…
Read MoreQHS tennis team sweeps season series from QND, finishes regular season with 18-2 dual record
QUINCY — The Quincy High School boys tennis team put a cap on an incredible regular season by sweeping the season series from intracity rival Quincy Notre Dame. The Blue Devils posted an 8-1 victory over the Raiders on Tuesday at the Greeman Tennis Center in Reservoir Park to improve to 18-2 in duals before…
Read MoreMacomb’s Lambert shuts out Notre Dame over final six innings, strikes out seven in victory
MACOMB, Ill. — Once Langdon Lambert worked his way out of a tough first inning, the Quincy Notre Dame baseball team didn’t harm him again. The Macomb right-hander limited the Raiders to three hits over the final six scoreless innings to close out a 9-2 victory Tuesday at Phil Bradley Field. Lambert struck out seven,…
Read MoreQND softball team stays unbeaten in WCC play, extends winning streak to nine games
HAMILTON, Ill. — Caitlin Bunte came within a home run of the cycle, five players had multiple hits and Madalyn Boyer tossed a five-hit complete game as the Quincy Notre Dame softball team handled West Hancock 9-2 in Tuesday’s West Central Conference game. QND center fielder Morgan Winking helped get the Raiders on the board…
Read MoreBunte hits homer, hurls one-hit shutout as QND softball team runs winning streak to eight games
QUINCY — Caitlin Bunte tossed a one-hit shutout and hit a two-run home run as the Quincy Notre Dame softball team won its eighth game in a row, dispatching Pleasant Hill 8-0. Bunte’s two-run homer in the bottom of the fourth inning gave the Raiders a 5-0 lead, Lauren Miller extended that lead to six…
Read MoreRaiders hold off late Blue Devil rally to sweep season series
QUINCY — The record will show that Quincy Notre Dame swept the girls soccer season series against crosstown rival Quincy High School. But after shutting out the Blue Devils in the first meeting last month and holding them scoreless through the opening 72 minutes of the rematch Friday night, the Raiders had to sweat it out. Staked to a…
Read MorePhoto Gallery: Boyer scores on Winking infield single as Raiders outlast Tigers
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 MoreWink and a knock: Raiders slap hitter drives in winning run in WCC showdown with Tigers
QUINCY -— By trade, Morgan Winking is described as a softball slapper. The left-hander uses extraordinary bat control, and when coupled with her above-average speed, she provides the Quincy Notre Dame softball team with an effective weapon at the bottom of its order. Winking’s talent was on display late Friday afternoon at The Backyard, where…
Read MorePhoto Gallery: Conkright brothers shine in West Hancock’s upset victory over QND
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 More‘It’s a big, big, big win’: Coming into game with 3-15 record, West Hancock baseball team stuns QND
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 MoreRaiders celebrate final home game for seniors with 6-0 victory, anxious to make postseason tournament run
QUINCY — Two goals scored within 40 seconds of each other put the Quincy Notre Dame girls soccer team in front in the game’s first nine minutes, and the Raiders went on to enjoy senior night with a 6-0 victory over Jacksonville on Wednesday night at Advance Physical Therapy Field. Mia Vranjes got the first…
Read MoreWiewel blasts 12th home run, freshman tosses complete game two-hitter as QND routs Southeastern
AUGUSTA, Ill. — Abram Wiewel hit his 12th home run of the season and freshman Reese Schertel hurled a complete game two-hitter for his first varsity victory as the Quincy Notre Dame baseball team cruised to a 12-2 victory over Southeastern in five innings on Wednesday. Wiewel also drove in four runs for the Raiders (17-7).…
Read MoreDay waits to hear about classroom test but aces test on pitcher’s mound in QHS shutout of QND
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 MoreQND softball team eclipses 20-victory mark for sixth consrcutive year with 16-1 decision over Southeastern
QUINCY — Caitlin Bunte homered to center field to lead off the bottom of the first inning for the Quincy Notre Dame softball team, which went on to post a 16-1 victory over Southeastern on Tuesday afternoon at the Backyard. The victory enables the Raiders (20-4) to reach the 20-victory plateau for the sixth consecutive…
Read MorePhoto Gallery: Dent, Konrad ignite Blue Devils’ offense in dominant victory over Notre Dame
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 MoreBarnes’ goal gives QND life, but late surge isn’t enough in one-goal loss at home to Springfield
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 MoreReyburn finally homers to fulfill coach’s prophecy, punctuating QND’s victory over Brown County
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…
Read MorePhoto Gallery: Wiewel strikes out 16, Raiders pull away from Hornets late
QUINCY — Quincy Notre Dame senior Abram Wiewel continues to stake his claim as one of the top baseball players in the area. Wiewel struck out 16 Brown County batters and added a triple in QND’s 10-2 victory on Monday. Wiewel has compiled a 2.14 ERA with 69 strikeouts in 36 innings and is hitting…
Read MoreCrim: QND’s Connell says IHSA changes to address ‘competitive equity’ unfairly penalizes all private schools
QUINCY – The public-private debate is as old as high school athletics itself. It reached a fever pitch last fall in Illinois when private schools won seven of the eight state football championships. While insisting that was not the tipping point, the Illinois High School Association Board of Directors has since voted to implement three…
Read MoreRaiders pound out 36 hits, 32 runs and six home runs in doubleheader sweep of Alton Marquette
QUINCY — Caitlin Bunte had seven hits in eight at-bats, including three home runs, and drove in 10 runs during the Quincy Notre Dame softball team’s 17-2 and 15-4 victories over Alton Marquette on Saturday at the Backyard. Bunte went 4 for 4 with two home runs, four runs scored and five RBIs in the…
Read More‘Brum Strong’: Wiewel blasts 11th homer in first inning of Notre Dame baseball’s victory over Central
QUINCY — Abram Wiewel says he does not get caught up in the numbers, but they are difficult to ignore. The Quincy Notre Dame senior shortstop and right-handed pitcher cranked his 11th home run of the season in the first inning of the Raiders’ 13-6 victory over Camp Point Central on Friday. Amidst his power…
Read MorePhoto Gallery: Raiders extend win streak ahead of showdown with Brown County
QUINCY — The Quincy Notre Dame baseball team reached 15 wins on the season and five in a row after handling Camp Point Central 13-6 Friday at Ferd Niemann Jr. Memorial Ballfield. Abram Wiewel hit his 11th home run of the season, and the Raiders scored double-digit runs for the ninth time. QND (15-6) will…
Read MoreWiewel’s homer to lead off seventh sparks seven-run surge to give Raiders victory over Clark County
KAHOKA, Mo. — Another day, another Abram Wiewel home run — but this one ignited a game-saving rally. With the Quincy Notre Dame baseball team trailing Clark County 11-10 in the top of the seventh inning on Tuesday, Wiewel belted a leadoff home run, sparking a seven-run inning. Bradi Lahr hit a two-run home run…
Read MorePatton records hat trick, Stratton adds two goals and three assists as QND girls soccer rolls in Iowa
BURLINGTON, Iowa — Makayla Patton recorded a hat trick, and Sage Stratton tallied two goals and three assists as the Quincy Notre Dame girls soccer team trounced Burlington Notre Dame 8-2 on Tuesday. Patton got the scoring started three minutes into the game and netted two goals five minutes apart in the second half, the…
Read MoreHolzgrafe filling in at No. 1 doubles spot just fine for injured teammate, helps QHS tennis team win every set in victory
QUINCY — Ethan Stark will return soon, but in the meantime, Kael Holzgrafe has found a home in the No. 1 doubles spot for the Quincy High School tennis team. Holzgrafe and Surya Reddy defeated Quincy Notre Dame’s Daniel Dyer and Alex Strong 9-7 in No. 1 doubles as part of the Blue Devils’ 9-0…
Read MoreDirty Dozen: QND softball maintains mastery over arch rival QHS, wins 13-3 at home
QUINCY — To her credit, Anjay Heinecke did not try to sidestep the question. The Quincy High School softball coach fully admitted the frustration of the ongoing losing streak to arch rival Quincy Notre Dame, the latest loss coming in 13-3 fashion on a balmy Monday evening inside the friendly confines of The Backyard at 10th and…
Read MoreBack-to-back homers get Raiders off to great start, Lahr drives in seven runs in 21-0 victory
MENDON, Ill. — The first two at-bats for the Quincy Notre Dame baseball team against Unity were a harbinger of things to come. Freshman Eli Johnson and senior Abram Wiewel belted back-to-back home runs in the top of the first, then the Raiders piled on 19 combined runs in the third and fourth innings —…
Read MorePhoto Gallery: QHS earns clean sweep of QND in dual at Reservoir Park
QUINCY — The Quincy High School boys tennis team improved its dual record to 15-2 with a 9-0 victory over Quincy Notre Dame on Monday at Reservoir Park. The Blue Devils did not drop a set in any match on a day when temperatures reached near 90 degrees and winds blew upwards of 20 miles…
Read MorePhoto Gallery: Raiders all smiles in victory over Blue Devils in crosstown showdown
QUINCY —The Quincy Notre Dame softball team jumped on Quincy High School with four runs in the first inning on Monday and never looked back in a 13-3 victory at The Backyard. Muddy River Sports Writer Shane Hulsey captured some of the action from 10th and Jackson.
Read MoreRaiders rebound from tough defeat on Friday to snag pair of victories in Clopton on Saturday
CLOPTON, Mo. — A quick turnaround did not bother the Quincy Notre Dame baseball team. Less than 15 hours after a 10-2 road loss to Illini West, the Raiders made the 75-minute drive to Clopton for a doubleheader beginning at 10 a.m. Saturday. QND combined for 22 runs in two games, defeating Clopton 13-6 and…
Read MoreMuscling Up: Watkins’ homer ignites fuse for eight-run inning as Illini West baseball team thumps QND
CARTHAGE, Ill. — Illini West senior catcher Shawn Watkins Jr.’s home plate collision with Quincy Notre Dame’s Oliver Triplett did not faze him. Watkins, a two-time state qualifying wrestler, welcomed the physicality. “It’s not the first one of the year, and it probably won’t be the last one,” Watkins said. “I feel like wrestling toughens…
Read MoreRaiders shut out by undefeated Peoria Notre Dame, but Thomas pleased with performance
QUINCY — Losing still stinks, but Quincy Notre Dame girls soccer coach Mark Thomas was pleased with his team’s play Friday night in a 2-0 loss to undefeated Peoria Notre Dame. “We worked hard,” Thomas said after the game, played at Advance Physical Therapy Field. “(Peoria Notre Dame has) got a good team, and that’ll…
Read MorePhoto Gallery: Chargers’ Carlisle carries no-hit bid into fifth inning against Raiders
Illini West starting pitcher Ethan Carlisle carried a no-hitter into the fifth inning of Friday’s baseball game against Quincy Notre Dame, which the Chargers eventually won 10-2. Carlisle gave up just one baserunner before Bradi Lahr’s single leading off the fifth. Carlisle exited after five innings after striking out six and walking just one on…
Read MoreQND baseball team limited to five hits as four-game winning streak ends at Beardstown
BEARDSTOWN, Ill. — The Quincy Notre Dame baseball team’s four-game winning streak was snapped on Thursday in a 7-4 loss to Beardstown. Raiders starter Abram Wiewel only lasted 2 1/3 innings, leaving the game after allowing a single and striking out a batter in the third inning and QND ahead 3-1. Beardstown scored four runs…
Read MoreWinking’s walk sets up red-hot Bunte to clear bases with triple, setting tone early for QND softball team
QUINCY — The most important at-bat in Wednesday afternoon’s 12-2 victory by the Quincy Notre Dame softball team over Western at the Backyard came in the second inning when it took the lead. No, it wasn’t Caitlin Bunte’s bases-clearing triple, breaking a scoreless tie. Instead, it was Morgan Winking’s two-out walk to load the bases,…
Read MoreThree-run homer in bottom of sixth sinks Notre Dame softball team in 4-1 road loss to Carrollton
CARROLLTON, Ill. — The Quincy Notre Dame girls softball team scored first and led 1-0 after 4 ½ innings, but Carrollton tied the game in the bottom of the fifth and then took the lead in the sixth with a three-run homer to claim a 4-1 victory on Tuesday afternoon. Singles by Vanna Holmes and…
Read MoreRaiders extend winning streak to four, have won nine of last 10 after routing Payson Seymour
QUINCY — Sophomore starter Sam Klauser allowed one earned run in four innings of work, and two freshmen combined for three scoreless innings in relief as the Quincy Notre Dame baseball team defeated Payson Seymour 10-2 on Monday night. The victory was the fourth straight for the Raiders (10-4), who have won nine of their…
Read MoreStegeman belts first career homer, Wiewel fans baker’s dozen in QND baseball’s victory over Rochester
QUINCY — In a year full of firsts for the Quincy Notre Dame baseball team, Rowan Stegeman added his name to that list on Saturday. The freshman third baseman hit his first career home run, a two-run shot to left field in the first inning, to give the Raiders a 2-1 lead over Rochester. The…
Read MoreAfter falling behind, Hannibal girls soccer team scores next four goals to knock off Notre Dame
QUINCY — Makayla Patton’s goal for Quincy Notre Dame 11 minutes into Thursday night’s game at Advance Physical Therapy Field broke a scoreless tie. It was like a slap in the face to the Hannibal girls soccer team. “We didn’t have the first goal, but if anything, it made us just come back harder and…
Read MoreOne strike from victory, Raiders give up tying and winning runs in bottom of seventh at Piasa
PIASA, Ill. — The Quincy Notre Dame girls softball team was one strike from victory, but a two-out two-strike RBI single tied the score and another RBI single drove home the winning run for Piasa Southwestern in an 8-7 victory on Thursday afternoon. The Raiders led 7-5 entering the bottom of the seventh. Reliever Caitlin…
Read MoreBoyer slugs homer, earns victory in circle as QND extends softball win streak over QHS to 11 games
QUINCY — Understandably, Madalyn Boyer needed a few moments to decide what was more enjoyable. The Quincy Notre Dame right-hander was the winning pitcher — with excellent relief help from Caitlin Bunte — and also socked her first home run of the season during the Raiders’ 6-2 victory over rival Quincy High School in a Wednesday…
Read MoreFirst homer for Johnson energizes Raiders, who escape with wild 12-10 victory at Pittsfield
PITTSFIELD, Ill. — Eli Johnson could not contain his excitement. The Quincy Notre Dame freshman is a fiery competitor, but after hitting his first career home run on Wednesday, he smacked Raiders coach Rich Polak’s hand rounding third base. Polak felt the effects of Johnson’s emotions running high. “I think he almost broke my hand,”…
Read MorePhoto Gallery: Raiders improve to 15-2, close in on sixth consecutive 20-victory season
Wednesday’s 6-2 victory over Quincy High School moved the Quincy Notre Dame girls softball team one step closer to a sixth consecutive 20-victory season. Notre Dame has outscored Quincy 87-18 during that 11-game stretch. The last QHS victory against the Raiders came in April 2018. Muddy River News Editor David Adam captured some of the images from…
Read MorePhoto Gallery: Plenty of baseball, softball action in Pittsfield on Wednesday night
Sports Writer Shane Hulsey caught a different type of doubleheader on Wednesday night, capturing images of Quincy Notre Dame’s 12-10 victory over Pittsfield in baseball as well as Pittsfield’s come-from-behind 7-6 victory over Western in softball.
Read MoreOpportunity knocks, and freshman pinch-hitter answers to help QND softball rally at Pittsfield
PITTSFIELD, Ill. — Quincy Notre Dame freshman Cadence Smith knew her opportunity would come, and she made the most of it. The QND softball team was trailing Pittsfield 4-2 with the bases loaded and two outs in the top of the fourth on Monday when Smith came off the bench to hit for Ellie Miller…
Read MoreWiewel stays hot in QND baseball team’s blowout victory over Rushville-Industry
RUSHVILLE, Ill. — Abram Wiewel just keeps on slugging. The Quincy Notre Dame senior belted a home run for the third straight game and went 4 for 5 with five RBIs in the Raiders’ 19-5 victory over Rushville-Industry on Monday. Wiewel’s second-inning grand slam marked his fifth home run of the season, all of which…
Read MorePhoto Gallery: Bunte’s amazing offensive streak continues for Raiders
PITTSFIELD, Ill. — Caitlin Bunte went 2 for 3 with a two-run home run in the third inning and scored three runs in Quincy Notre Dame’s 10-4 victory over Pittsfield in a prep softball game on Monday night. In the last eight games dating back to April 5, Bunte has gone 15 for 22 with…
Read MoreRaiders own worst enemy in lopsided loss to Chatham Glenwood
QUINCY — File it and forget it. That’s about all the Quincy Notre Dame baseball team could do following Saturday’s 15-2, six-inning loss to Chatham Glenwood at Ferd Niemann Memorial Field. The Raiders (6-4) proved to be their own worst enemy. “Nine walks, four errors … ,” said QND coach Rich Polak, recounting some of…
Read MoreBunte has five hits, seven RBIs in first game as QND softball splits with Bloomington Central Catholic
BLOOMINGTON, Ill. — Caitlin Bunte had the game of dreams on Saturday. The Quincy Notre Dame senior and University of Indianapolis commit went 5 for 6 with seven RBIs and hit for the cycle in the Raiders’ 15-4 victory over Bloomington Central Catholic in the first game of a doubleheader. Bunte got the home run…
Read MoreQND commands second half, ends losing streak against QHS with 2-0 girls soccer victory
QUINCY – Quincy High School swept crosstown rival Quincy Notre Dame in each of the previous two seasons, the only times the Blue Devils had accomplished that in the first 34 years of the girls soccer series. The Raiders were intent on flipping the script on Friday night when the teams met for the first…
Read MoreBunte atones for first-inning mistake, goes 4 for 4 in QND softball team’s home victory
QUINCY — Caitlin Bunte did not let a first-inning error deter her and instead used it as motivation. Two batters into the Quincy Notre Dame softball team’s game against Triopia on Friday, Raiders third baseman Josie Boyer fielded a ground ball off the bat of Addilynn Tracy. Bunte dropped Boyer’s throw to first, allowing Tracy…
Read MorePhoto Gallery: Raiders’ offense comes alive after scoring just one goal in past two games
Adde Flesch gave the Quincy Notre Dame girls soccer team, which had managed just one goal combined in back-to-back losses to Springfield Sacred Heart-Griffin and Hannibal (Mo.), the lead with just 3 minutes, 9 seconds elapsed during Friday night’s game against Quincy High School at Flinn Stadium. Sage Stratton scored the Raiders’ second goal in…
Read MorePhoto Gallery: Raiders shut down high-scoring Triopia after allowing early run
Caitlin Bunte had four hits, scored two runs and fired five scoreless innings in relief as the Quincy Notre Dame girls softball team beat Triopia 4-1 at The Backyard on Friday. Bunte struck out nine and retired the final 13 batters of the game, throwing 46 of her 61 pitches for strikes. Sports Writer Shane…
Read MoreJohnson, Wiewel help Raiders storm back for victory over Hannibal before storm ends game
QUINCY – The Quincy Notre Dame baseball team provided a little thunder and lightning just before Mother Nature delivered the real thing. Eli Johnson doubled off the left-field fence to drive home the go-ahead run, and Abram Wiewel followed with a two-run homer to cap a six-run fifth inning to carry the Raiders to a…
Read MoreTurner stands tall as Pirates fend off Raiders in cross-river battle
HANNIBAL, Mo. — The Hannibal girls soccer team’s potent offense gave it the lead. Senior goalkeeper Ava Turner made sure that lead stayed in tact. Turner stopped each of the first eight shots she faced, several of which came from point blank range, as the Pirates beat Quincy Notre Dame 5-1 Tuesday at the Veterans…
Read MoreWiewel, Raiders lock in and lock up Crimsons to secure fourth consecutive victory
QUINCY — The way things unfolded in the top of the first inning Saturday at Ferd Niemann Jr. Memorial Ballfield left Abram Wiewel looking for control. One swing seemed to help him find it. The No. 3 hitter in the Quincy Notre Dame baseball team’s lineup got a first-inning merry-go-round going with his one-out single…
Read MorePatton, Flesch get Raiders’ offense rolling in right direction in four-goal victory over Bullets
QUINCY — What took place on the backend of each of the Quincy Notre Dame girls soccer team’s scoring opportunities is what gets remembered. It’s the build-up to those opportunities that Raiders coach Mark Thomas likes to see. The off-the-ball movement of forwards Makayla Patton and Addie Flesch and the control of midfielders Sage Stratton…
Read MoreWiewel, Klauser combine to quiet Panthers as no-hitter leads to Raiders’ victory
QUINCY — The plan was in place. All Abram Wiewel and Samuel Klauser had to do was execute it. The two Quincy Notre Dame right-handed hurlers did so to near perfection as they combined to no-hit Palmyra in a 7-0 victory Tuesday at Ferd Niemann Jr. Memorial Ballfield. Wiewel started and pitched the first two…
Read MoreRaiders forge tie with Explorers, get early-season taste of what postseason path looks like
QUINCY — The Quincy Notre Dame girls soccer team got a taste of what the Class 1A postseason path may look like, and it was no April fool’s joke. The Raiders played Alton Marquette to a scoreless tie Monday night at Advance Physical Therapy Field, finding the Explorers’ defense difficult to generate an attack against…
Read MoreInterference call ends pitchers’ duel as Raiders outlast Warriors at softball slam
QUINCY — Whether the play was savvy, lucky or both, Alyssa Ley’s instincts paid off. With the bases loaded, two outs and the Quincy Notre Dame softball team leading Hardin Calhoun 1-0 in the top of the seventh inning Saturday, Ley ranged to her left from her shortstop position to field a ground ball off…
Read MoreWhite’s speed turns tide in Raiders’ favor during one-run win over Warriors
QUINCY — Quincy Notre Dame freshman outfielder Sophia White has earned the nickname “Flash.” On Saturday, she showed why. White led off the third inning of a scoreless game against Hardin Calhoun at The Backyard with one task — get on base. With that in mind, Raiders coach Eric Orne told White to bunt for…
Read MorePayson Seymour splits games at softball slam, while Illini West suffers pair of setbacks
QUINCY — Four teams provided a day full of action at Saturday’s Quincy Notre Dame Softball Slam at The Backyard. The finale provided plenty of drama with QND squeaking out a 1-0 victory over Hardin Calhoun. Here is a recap of the three games preceding that showdown: Archer’s timely hits give Indians lift Corin Robinson…
Read MoreSchuck on a Truck: Stratton guides QND girls basketball team to remarkable success, earns Player of the Year honor
QUINCY — Standing in the hallway leading from the locker room to the gym in Illini West High School, Sage Stratton experienced a moment that set her up to be a leader, a contributor and arguably one of Quincy Notre Dame’s all-time greats. The Raiders had just beaten Illini West 40-38 in a battle of…
Read MoreWiewel finishes what he starts, makes defensive play to end Raiders’ one-run win over Blue Devils
QUINCY — Bradi Lahr had no doubt Abram Wiewel would make the play. “It’s Abram Wiewel,” said Lahr, a junior right-handed pitcher for the Quincy Notre Dame baseball team. “He’s the best ballplayer I’ve been on a team with. I had trust in him the whole time.” With the Raiders leading Quincy High School 5-4,…
Read MorePhoto gallery: QND, QHS baseball teams open season Saturday at QU Stadium
QUINCY — Opening day for the Quincy High School and Quincy Notre Dame baseball teams showed what fans have come to expect from both programs — grit, tenacity and tight games in the city series. After both teams dropped their season openers to Springfield Sacred Heart-Griffin, QND took the upper hand in the city rivalry…
Read MoreQND softball team manufactures walk-off victory, completes season-opening sweep
JACKSONVILLE, Ill. — The next time Quincy Notre Dame softball coach Eric Orne tells his team good things happen when you put pressure on the opposing defense, he has a prime example to use to back that up. The Raiders opened their season Friday afternoon with a 3-2 victory over East Dubuque in which they…
Read MoreBoyer joins Bunte to create formidable one-two punch for QND softball team’s pitching staff
QUINCY — Madalyn Boyer used to fear facing Caitlin Bunte. “I’ve always struggled hitting off of her,” Boyer said. “Everybody struggles hitting off of her.” Now there is no need to fear. Boyer, a senior pitcher and third baseman who transferred from Illini West to Quincy Notre Dame prior to this school year, will combine…
Read MoreFinding balance between youthful exuberance, veteran leadership will define QND’s spring success
QUINCY — A mix of young talent and veteran leadership will shape the success of Quincy Notre Dame’s collection of teams this spring. Baseball A young, speedy QND baseball team will take the field for the first time at the QHS Slam on Saturday against Springfield Sacred Heart-Griffin and Quincy High School at QU Stadium.…
Read More‘I wanted to enjoy this last moment’: Stratton, Raiders finish fourth at state after loss to Panthers
NORMAL, Ill. — It was not the happy ending Sage Stratton had envisioned, but even as the tears streamed down her face as she watched the Washington girls basketball team celebrate Friday night’s 60-51 victory over Quincy Notre Dame in the Class 3A third-place game at CEFCU Arena, the QND senior guard had no qualms…
Read More‘You still get chills’: Orne keeps enjoyment of state tournament experience at forefront
NORMAL, Ill. — Eric Orne is still not numb to the feeling. “You still get chills when you walk through the tunnel,” Orne said. That tunnel leads you into CEFCU Arena, the home of the IHSA state basketball tournament, a destination Orne has reached nine times in 23 seasons as the Quincy Notre Dame girls…
Read MorePhoto gallery: QND girls basketball team brings home ninth state trophy in last 17 seasons
NORMAL, Ill. — The trips to CEFCU Arena — traditionally known as Redbird Arena — have been fruitful for the Quincy Notre Dame girls basketball team, which won its ninth state trophy since 2008 this weekend. The Raiders finished fourth in Class 3A, losing 60-51 to Washington in Friday night’s third-place game. Muddy River Sports…
Read MoreRaiders unable to answer Broncos’ second-half surge, lose in Class 3A state semifinals
NORMAL, Ill. — In a game of punch-counterpunch, Lombard Montini’s return blows proved too powerful for the Quincy Notre Dame girls basketball team to recover from. The silver lining for QND is a chance for atonement on Friday. The Raiders took a 26-20 lead on a Jenna Durst 3-pointer with 4:41 left in the third…
Read MoreEven after semifinal loss, Raiders recognize significance of return trip to state tournament
NORMAL, Ill. — CEFCU Arena has become quite the familiar place for Sage Stratton, but the significance of playing in three state tournaments in four years is not lost on the Quincy Notre Dame senior guard. “I wish everybody could have this experience,” said Stratton, who helped the Raiders win a Class 2A state championship…
Read MorePhoto gallery: QND plays Lombard Montini in Class 3A state semifinals at CEFCU Arena
NORMAL, Ill. — The Quincy Notre Dame girls basketball team’s third state tourament appearance in the last four years hit a snag in the fourth quarter Thursday night as Lombard Montini pulled away for a 50-41 victory in the semifinals of the Class 3A state tournament. Muddy River Sports Writer Shane Hulsey was courtside and…
Read More‘We stand up and rise to the occasion’: Raiders fend off Rams to earn berth in Class 3A state semifinals
TAYLORVILLE, Ill. — Ari Buehler’s bright smile said it all. “I guess it does,” she said. The euphoric moment the Quincy Notre Dame girls basketball team experienced Monday night, beating Mt. Vernon 55-54 to win the Class 3A Taylorville Super-Sectional and earn a final four berth, had the Raiders smiling, giggling and even crying as…
Read MoreRaiders’ ability to hit clutch free throws in final two minutes secures super-sectional victory
TAYLORVILLE, Ill. — As Ari Buehler stepped to the free-throw line with the chance to nudge the Quincy Notre Dame girls basketball team closer to a state tournament berth, her mind circled back to a year ago when the Raiders’ season ended with her miss at the charity stripe. “Oh, yeah, for sure,” Buehler said.…
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