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Softball wins regional, advances to sectional on Tuesday
The 2017 GHS softball team with their regional title plaque.
For the second time this season, the Gillespie softball team (24-6) prevailed against the Hillsboro Hilltoppers. Monday afternoon’s victory was more celebratory though as the team’s fate was at risk, but it was another day of work as Gillespie won their third straight regional title. They advance to play Tri-City in sectionals on Tuesday afternoon in Williamsville.
As guests on the scoreboard Monday afternoon in a rescheduled rainout from Saturday, Hillsboro set the tone early taking a 1-0 lead in the top of the first inning following a leadoff single by Schaake. She was moved to second on a sacrifice bunt and Hanner, the third batter of the inning, doubled to give the Hilltoppers an early lead.
“We were hitting the ball pretty solid the first couple innings and we were confident we would pull through,” head coach Michelle Smith said of the Miners trailing.
Hillsboro’s lead held for four innings until Gillespie was able to cross their first run of the game in the bottom of the fourth inning and take their first lead of the game. Rylee Sarti started the party with a leadoff single and the only hit in the two-run inning. Sydney Henrichs moved Sarti to second and then Gillespie’s Ally Bires and Lexie Bussmann were both walked allowing the Miners their first run on four straight balls pitched by Hanner.
The Miners later took a lead in the inning on a past ball allowing Henrichs to cross the plate.
Gillespie held a 2-1 lead until the sixth inning when Addison Bryant helped her own cause by singling to right field scoring Mackenzie Mix who reached the base path on a walk. The Miners held the 3-1 lead for the victory.
Bryant garnered the win for the team pitching all seven innings, striking out seven and walking one. Gillespie grabbed eight hits at the plate – two from Sarti, two from Rylee Jarman and one from Bryant, Bussmann, Bires and Ally Clay.
“We were really on our players about swinging at better pitches and they did a good job with that,” Smith concluded as she looked ahead to Tuesday’s game. “We will tweak little things when we need to, play solid defense and pick good pitches to swing at.”
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Another major winter storm is forecasted to blanket the BenGil area in heavy rains, flooding and snowfall starting Wednesday night through Thursday.
The mixture of precipitation and rapidly changing weather likely will produce the potential for sudden icing on roads, with high winds leading to blowing snow and reduced visibility.
“The Illinois Department of Transportation’s snow-and-ice teams will be prepared and out in force, but the public needs to be ready for conditions to change quickly and worsen if they are out on the roads,” said Illinois Transportation Secretary Omer Osman. “As always during periods of extreme weather, the safest option is to postpone any unnecessary trips and stay home. If you must travel, prepare for very slow and potentially hazardous conditions. And please slow down around our plows and other emergency vehicles, giving them plenty of room to do their jobs.”
The National Weather Service is predicting a wintry mix of precipitation to start with thunderstorms and heavy rain in much of the state this evening, converting to freezing rain overnight before turning to snow Thursday morning. In addition to localized flooding, ice and sleet accumulations are likely, creating extremely slippery surfaces and slick conditions.
Due to the rainy conditions ahead of temperatures falling overnight, the effectiveness of pretreating and salting surfaces in advance of significant snowfall will be limited. The public should anticipate icy conditions even when roads appear clear and greatly reduce speeds.
“As the Illinois State Police plans to take on the unpredictable Illinois weather, we would like to remind motorists to do their part in keeping the roads a safe place,” said Illinois State Police Director Brendan F. Kelly. “ISP, alongside IDOT and other agencies, will be working in hazardous weather conditions. Please remember to slow down, stay vigilant and move over for ANY vehicle on the side of the road.”
Statewide, IDOT has available more than 1,800 trucks and equipment to plow, treat roads and respond to weather emergencies. If you encounter a plow or any maintenance vehicle during your travels, please slow down, increase your following distance and remain patient. Do not attempt to pass – conditions in front of the plow will be worse than behind it.
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Police are investigating the death of a Bunker Hill woman who was found dead at the end of her driveway near the roadway on Monday morning, January 31.
Nancy Blycker, 91, had multiple injuries and was pronounced dead at the scene, according to police. The Macoupin County Sheriff’s Office received a 911 call to the 2900 block of Wood Hill Lane around 7:40 a.m. on Monday.
The initial suspicion was homicide, according to a release by the Major Case Squad of Greater St. Louis who said approximately 20 investigators were working the investigation, but the autopsy contradicted that suspicion.
The Major Case Squad said on Tuesday it is “highly unlikely” Blycker’s death was the “result of homicidal means.”
The Major Case Squad turned the case back over to the Macoupin County Sheriff’s Department. The official cause of death is pending further lab analysis.
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The National Weather Service has issued a Winter Storm Warning for the BenGil area, southwestern Illinois, and the St. Louis area.
The warning was issued early Tuesday taking effect at midnight tonight until noon on Thursday, February 3 calling for a “wet, heavy” snow. The forecast also calls for ice prompting a warning about possible power outages.
“All indications continue to point to a disruptive, impactful, and dangerous winter storm impacting the region starting late tonight and lasting through Thursday night,” the National Weather Service said in its Area Forecast Discussion.
The BenGil area is expected to receive heavy mixed precipitation including snow accumulations between 6 and 10 inches, sleet accumulations around three-quarters of an inch, and ice accumulations around two-tenths of an inch. Wind gusts will be as high as 35 mph on Thursday.
The storm is expected to start with rain most of the day today before transitioning into a mixture of freezing rain and/or sleet Tuesday night, then all snow Wednesday morning or as late as Wednesday afternoon continuing until about noon on Thursday.
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