Connect with us

High School Sports

Gillespie High School softball off to a hot start

Published

on

Ava Parish connects on a pitch and lines it to the outfield.

The Gillespie High School softball team is off to a hot start under the leadership of Michelle Smith.

In the first game of the season, Gillespie dominated the field snatching a shutout win over Ramsey, 16-0. In the opener, Emma Gipson proved to be a force to be reckoned with on the mound, as she rang up a total of 11 batters. The Ramsey Rams were only able to muster up one hit facing the powerhouse.

Sadie Sholtis was hot at the plate, going three for three with a solo homer to left field. She was just a triple shy of hitting for the cycle.

Bats were going all evening long for Gillespie, racking up 16 runs on 16 hits. Leadoff batter, Ava Parish, went 2-3, with 3 RBIs and one base on balls. Both Paxton Reid and Macie Wright went 3-3, knocking in a total of six runs between the two. Laci Schuckenbrock drove in three runs on a triple, while Lauren Bertagnolli and Delaney Taylor plated one RBI each.

In the second game of the season, Gipson pitched another stellar game, matching her previous performance with 11 Ks. She allowed only one hit and three walks through seven innings. This game was a nail-biter as the pitching for both the home and away teams was phenomenal. Pawnee’s starting pitcher, Haley Maretti, took the loss, but not before sitting down 13 Gillespie players with a strikeout.

Parish and Wright were alone in the hit column with one hit a piece. Wright drove in two runs. While not gaining a hit, Reid capitalized on an at-bat, driving in one run. The final score was 3-0, with Gillespie taking the win.

Gillespie stepped onto the field on March 14th to face Carrollton and was only able to get in two-thirds innings before the game was called. Starter, Emma Gipson, gave up two hits with no runs, striking out two. Bertagnolli and Sholtis each gained one hit a piece.

Advertisement
Share this story

Comments

comments

CUSD 7 News

Miners girls basketball clinch SCC championship

Published

on

In a nail-biting showdown that will be remembered for years to come, the Gillespie Miners girls basketball team captured the South Central Conference title with a hard-fought 55-52 victory over the Pana Panthers on Thursday night, February 13. This marks Gillespie’s first conference championship since their back-to-back titles in 2001-02, when they shared the honors with Southwestern both finishing with a 9-1 conference record.

The game held at Pana High School was anything but straightforward. After a tumultuous 13-minute delay due to injuries and a technical foul controversy, the Miners rallied their spirits to secure the win. Amari Vickery led the charge with a stellar performance, scoring 21 points, while Mia Brawner added 11, Maggie Heyen contributed 10, Delaney Taylor posted 5, Sadie Sholtis scored 4, and Lainey Edwards and Corrine Fellin each had 2 points.

From the opening tip, it was clear that Pana was not going to roll over easily. The Panthers held leads at the end of the first two quarters, 15-14 and 28-26, showcasing their tenacity. By the time the fourth quarter rolled around, Pana had edged ahead 44-42, setting the stage for a dramatic finish.

However, the game took a chaotic turn in the fourth quarter when a collision between Vickery and teammate Sloane Brawner resulted in both players going down with injuries. Sloane was not able to return the game but Vickery did. The Miners also lost both Delaney Taylor and Sadie Sholtis to fouls and Gillespie was assessed a technical foul under controversial circumstances which tied the game at 49. But Heyen carried the weight through the fourth quarter recording 6 of her 10 points in the final quarter of play.

Despite the setbacks, the Miners displayed remarkable teamwork resilience under the leadership of Nikki and Matt Brawner. With the SCC championship secured and the regular season concluded with a 22-8 overall record and 9-0 conference record, the Miners now shift their focus to the upcoming regional which is being hosted in Gillespie.

Gillespie hosts Alton Marquette on Monday, Feb. 17 for the regional semi-finals after Alton Marquette knocked East-Alton Wood River, 36-29, to face the Miners. The winner advances to the regional championship that will be played on Friday, Feb. 21 at 7 p.m. in Gillespie versus the winner of Staunton/Roxana.

Advertisement
Share this story

Comments

comments

Continue Reading

High School Sports

Gillespie Dominates the Court against Southwestern, 41-25

Published

on

By

On December 16, Gillespie played against Southwestern and dominated on the court. They secured an impressive 41-25 win.

Gillespie’s Amari Vickery played a crucial role in their offense in the first period, contributing 5 out of their 10 points. Sloane Brawner demonstrated range from behind the three-point line, extending their lead as they moved into the second period. Southwestern was able to muster up 7 points against Gillespie.

The defense really held strong in the second period of the game. It was a low-scoring affair, with only a total of 11 points scored by both teams. Gillespie managed to score 8 points, while Southwestern scored 3. Darr from Southwestern scored their only 3 points by shooting from beyond the arc. Vickery contributed 6 points for Gillespie, while Sadie Sholtis added two more to the scoreboard. Gillespie held the lead going into halftime with a score of 18 to 10.

After halftime, Gillespie’s Mia Brawner came out refreshed and had a strong offensive performance, scoring 9 out of Gillespie’s 11 points in the third period, while Maggie Heyen contributed the other two points. Southwestern managed to put up 8 points in an attempt to set the stage for a comeback against Gillespie. After three periods of play, Southwestern trailed behind with a score of 29 to 18.

Gillespie secured their victory during the fourth period by outscoring Southwestern 12 to 7. Vickery continued to impress with her offensive performance, contributing 6 points to extend their lead. Brawner also added 4 more points to her total for the game, while S. Brawner contributed an additional 2 points. Despite Stormer from Southwestern successfully scoring from behind the three-point line, it wasn’t enough to give them the lead.

Vickery and Brawner were the key players for Gillespie’s offense. Vickery scored a total of 17 points, while Brawner contributed 15 points to the team’s total.

Gillespie took home another win with a final score of 41 to 25.

Advertisement

Share this story

Comments

comments

Continue Reading

High School Sports

Gillespie emerged victorious over Auburn, 71-65

Published

on

By

Gillespie stepped onto the court against Auburn on December 9th and came out on top, clinching a hard-fought 71-65 win.

Gillespie started off hot, racing to an early lead in the first period. By the end of the period, the scoreboard read 17-15 in their favor. Auburn’s relentless defense sent Gillespie to the free throw line a total of five times in the opening period. Gillespie capitalized on those opportunities, converting 5-of-10 attempts as a team.

The star of the show, however, was Amari Vickery, who shone brightly from the charity stripe, sinking an impressive 4-of-6 free throws. Vickery’s impact didn’t stop there – managing to find the net for an additional goal during the period, further cementing her status as a dominant force in Gillespie’s offense. Mia Brawner and Sadie Sholtis proved to be a dynamic duo, combining for 8 points to bolster Gillespie’s scoring efforts in the first period.

Auburn attempted to make a comeback during the second period, besting Gillespie 16 to 15. Addison Whatley was the driving force behind Auburn’s offense, pouring in 8 of their 16 points. Maggie Heyen, Delaney Taylor, and Sloane Brawner were the forces behind Gillespie’s offensive surge in the second period. Heyen poured in 7 points, while Taylor and S. Brawner demonstrated their shooting range from beyond the arc.

Gillespie clung to their narrow one-point lead as the teams headed into the second half of the nail-biter.

Gillespie’s M. Brawner took over the second half, pouring in 15 points to overwhelm Auburn. Vickery’s offensive onslaught kept on rolling, as she added 9 more points to Gillespie’s tally. Heyen, Sholtis, Taylor, and S. Brawner all contributed to their winning effort.

When the final buzzer sounded, Gillespie emerged victorious, 71-65.

Advertisement

Share this story

Comments

comments

Continue Reading

Trending

×

We need your support. If you value having timely, accurate news about your community, please become one of our subscribers. Subscribe