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Gillespie softball off to a slow start

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Ally Clay applies the tag from catcher Mackenzie Kasarda.

Ally Clay applies the tag from catcher Mackenzie Kasarda.

After playing their first three games of the season, the Gillespie Miners softball team (0-3) is off to a slow start for the 2015 season after losing to Triad last night, Dupo on Tuesday and Edwardsville last week.

Michelle Smith returns for her 10th year in the head coach position alongside Joe Kelly as her first base coach while Joe Matesa and Alina Fields head the dugout for the Miners as volunteer coaches for this year’s season.

This year’s softball team is young with four freshman in the starting lineup. Sophomore Addison Bryant returns to toe the rubber for Gillespie with freshman Mackenzie Kasarda catching behind the plate. It’s a young duo leading the team’s defensive game, but the story is similar for the team’s offensive game as well.

Smith isn’t writing this year’s season off as a rebuilding year

Despite the first games of the season and the young ladies leading the team, Smith isn’t writing this year’s season off as a rebuilding year.

Gillespie 4, Triad 14

With the bigger schools on the top of Gillespie’s schedule, the Miners dropped their third straight on Wednesday against 3A Triad. The Knights came out flexing with their powerful lineup and took an early 5-0 lead following the first inning on four hits.

The five-run first inning was too tough to overcome for the Miners who recorded 11 hits in the contest and stranded eight base runners. Despite the rough first inning, Gillespie held Triad scoreless in the second and third innings before the Knights added two runs in the fourth inning gaining a 7-1 lead.

Following the fourth inning, Addison Bryant was replaced by Sydney Henrichs to pitch for Gillespie. Bryant (0-3) surrendered 7 earned runs on nine hits and struck out six during her four innings. Henrichs tossed 1.2 innings for the Miners before being short-gamed in the sixth. She gave up seven runs (5 earned) and five hits.

Mackenzie Kasarda led Gillespie with three singles and one RBI in the game last night with Rylee Sarti recording two RBIs. Gillespie showed some life in the fifth inning after scoring three runs on four hits cutting the deficit to 4-7, but Triad ended the game in the sixth after scoring seven runs on four hits.

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Gillespie 1, Dupo 2

The Miners dropped their second game of the season Tuesday evening on their home field at Welfare Park after the Dupo Tigers squeezed out a run in the bottom of the fifth inning to take a 2-1 lead, which they held until the end of the game.

Gillespie was shy at the plate with only four hits in the game and two of those coming in the first inning when the Miners tied Dupo 1-1. Bryant led the team off with a single in the bottom of the first inning and after a stolen base, Ally Clay knocked a single for the team scoring Bryant.

After Rylee Sarti’s single in the second and Dannis’ single in the third, Gillespie went hitless for the remainder of the game and only had one player get on base in the last four innings.

Bryant pitched all seven innings for the team and recorded eight strike-outs. She surrendered two earned runs in her second appearance, allowed nine hits and walked three.

Gillespie 0, Edwardsville 17

Gillespie started their season last week in Edwardsville and despite playing a full seven innings, the Miners collapsed and committed eight errors in the 0-17 loss.

The weather could be partially blamed for the team’s rough performance in their first outing. A steady wind rolled through Edwardsville’s complex and temperatures were in the 40’s during last week’s game, but Coach Smith didn’t accept either as an excuse. “Super disappointed,” Smith wrote after the game. “Let’s hope the rain stops and we play like we are capable.”

The Miners recorded only three hits from the plate with freshman Mackenzie Kasarda tallying two of them. Addison Bryant recorded the third hit for the team and tossed all seven innings for Gillespie allowing 17 hits and 17 runs (12 earned). Bryant struck out six and walked three.

Gillespie trailed Edwardsville 0-5 after the fifth inning, 0-7 after the sixth and then 0-17 to end the game after the Tiger scored 10 runs in the seventh inning.

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CUSD 7 News

Miners girls basketball clinch SCC championship

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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.

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High School Sports

Gillespie Dominates the Court against Southwestern, 41-25

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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.

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Gillespie emerged victorious over Auburn, 71-65

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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.

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