Macomb builds five-run cushion, squashes Illini West’s rally in regional baseball semifinal victory

MACOMB, Ill. — The Macomb baseball team figured out how to wriggle out of a pair late-inning jams to maintain its lead and keep its season alive with a 5-2 victory over Illini West in the Wednesday’s semifinals of the Class 2A Macomb Regional at Phil Bradley Field.

The fifth-seeded Bombers will face top-seeded Eureka at 11 a.m. Saturday in the regional title game. The Hornets (30-4) advanced with an 11-1 victory over Canton in the other semifinal.

Fourth-seeded Illini West ends its season with a 25-11 record.

The Bombers grabbed the lead in the top of the first on Emmett Beck’s one-out RBI single and tacked on another run in the third as Nick Elbe doubled with two outs and scored on Langdon Lambert’s single.

The lead increased to 4-0 in the fourth as Drew Watson delivered a two-out, two-run single through the left side of the infield. Elbe tripled leading off the fifth and scored on Lambert’s single to make it 5-0.

The Chargers tried to rally in the bottom of the fifth as a pair of errors and a wild pitch put runners at second and third with one out, and Tre Niederman drove in a run with a groundout. Ethan Carlisle singled to put runners at the corners, but Carter Chapin popped out in foul territory to end the threat.

In the sixth, Illini West’s Shawn Watkins Jr. started a two-out rally with a single, Nick Johnson walked and Stephen Sparks singled to center field to plate a run. Nick Bruns flied out to end the inning.

Elbe went 3 for 4 for the Bombers, while Langdon Lambert and Leighton Lambert had two hits apiece. Langdon Lambert pitched a complete game, striking out seven and walking one while allowing one earned run and three hits.

Bruns took the loss, pitching four innings with five strikeouts and one walk. Wesley Robertson pitched three scoreless innings of relief with three strikeouts and three hits allowed.