High School Sports
Gillespie softball racks up three wins this week
The Gillespie Miners softball team racked up three wins this week over Auburn, Nokomis, and Jerseyville.
Gillespie faced the Auburn Trojans on March 19 taking a 6-0 win. Emma Gipson was in the circle in this game and earned the win. She gave up four hits and ended the game collecting seven strikeouts.
Macie Wright got the bats started in the first inning with a single. She led the team at the plate going 1-3 with two RBIs. Lauren Bertagnolli followed up in the top of the second inning with a single, putting Gillespie up by four. She went 3-3 in the game. Ava Parish, Gipson, and Wright each put one in the hit column for the game. Bertagnolli, Paxton Reid, and Gipson each had an RBI.
Meena Taylor took the loss for Auburn, allowing six hits, striking out thirteen batters, and walking four.
Gillespie also faced the Nokomis Lady Redskins this week, taking the win 13-3. Reid came in clutch in this game, going 3-4 at the plate, and driving in four runs. Bertagnolli and Addi Cox had two RBIs in the game, and we saw an RBI each from Parish and Ava Rakers.
Reid earned her first win in the circle against Nokomis. The right-hander pitcher earned five strikeouts and allowed seven hits and three runs. Cloey Dirks took the loss for Nokomis.
Cox, Parish, and Amari Vickery each had multiple hits in the winning effort for Gillespie.
Amidst the wins of the week, Gillespie also took their first loss of the season against the Edwardsville Tigers, a final score of 1-2. Edwardsville’s Brooke Buris ended the game with a walk-off single, scoring one run. This marks the first loss of the season for Gillespie’s starting pitcher, Emma Gipson. Gipson, alongside Reid, went 1-3 at the plate in their efforts. Parish drove in Gillespie’s one run for the game.
Gillespie ended the week strong with an eight-to-one victory over the Jersey Panthers. Parish had a phenomenal performance at the plate, going three for three with two home runs and four RBIs. Vickery went two for three at the plate, scoring twice. Gipson went one for three with two RBIs. Sholtis also had an RBI in the game.
Gipson ended the week with a win in the circle. She gave up four hits over seven innings, striking out five batters. Ashlyn Brown took the loss for Jersey, pitching six innings, and striking out five batters. Collins, Pegram, Brainerd, and Beemer each had one hit on the books for Jersey – Collins batted in their one run.
Gillespie will face Triad next week on March 27.
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The Gillespie High School baseball team had six players receive South Central Conference accolades, conference officials announced on Monday. The Miners had three named to the first team, two to the second team, and two to the third team.
Named to the first team included seniors Bryce Buhs as pitcher, Tristen Wargo as infielder, and Jesse Berry as outfielder. Wargo was also named to the conference’s second team as pitcher alongside sophomore Collin Griffith. Senior Jaydon Baker and junior Jack Kaylor were named to the third team as designated hitter/utility and outfielder, respectively.
Rounding out the conference’s first team included Nathan Matoush of Hillsboro in two places as pitcher and infielder; Marcus Payne, Rocky Darr and Hunter Newell of Southwestern; Carson Satthoff, Mathew Bywater, and Jake Gasperson of Litchfield; Aiden Hatalla of North Mac; Benjamin Hutchinson of Greenville; and Kale Konrad of Vandalia.
Joining Wargo and Griffith on the conference’s second team is Adam Hale, Colin LeMarr and Ryan Lowis of Southwestern; Carter Legendre and Dillon Pritchett of Staunton; Ethan Saathoff of Litchfield; Rowdy Sussenbach and Cohen Alstat of Greenville; Quinn Morrow of North Mac; and Andrew Kelly of Vandalia.
Third team honorees include Drake Curry, Cohen Alstat, Dominic Sanchez, and Hudson Alstat of Greenville; Carson Saathoff and Tate Dobrinich of Litchfield; Cade McCready and Collin Etter of North Mac; Ryan Karbach, Parker Moore, and Madyx Angel of Pana; Marcus Payne of Southwestern; Ayden Jones of Vandalia; and Noah Convery of Carlinville.
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Eight players from the Gillespie Miners softball team were selected to the South Central Conference All-Conference teams, conference officials announced on Monday.
Being honored on the first team from Gillespie included senior Emma Gipson, juniors Delaney Taylor and Macie Wright, and sophomores Ava Parish and Paxton Reid. Senior Wrigley Releford and sophomore Sadie Sholtis were named to the conference’s second team while freshman Laci Shuckenbrock was named to the third team.
Other first-team honorees from around the conference include Carlinville’s Hallie Gibson and Isabella Tiburzi; Staunton’s Ele Feldmann, Taylor Nolan, and Lilly Troeckler; and Alexis Bowman of North Mac.
Joining Releford and Sholtis on the second team include Taylor Keirs and Ines Oprtigosa of North Mac; Gianna Bianco of Staunton; Abby McDonald of Southwestern; Braley Wiser and Hannah Gibson of Carlinville; Zoee Englert and Haylee Clark of Greenville; Brianna Mathis of Pana; Aubrey Evans of Hillsboro; and Madison Lupton of Vandalia.
Rounding out the third team are Joey Laker and Kennedy Bowker of Pana; EmmaLeigh Wilfong and Emma Bingham of Greenville; Addison Ruyle and Olivia Kunz of Carlinville; Vivian Zurheide and Ella Kadell of Southwestern; Korryn Keehner, Kylie Lucykow, and Sam Anderson of Staunton; Elise Walch of Litchfield; Karleigh Prose of North Mac; and Peyton Chappelear of Hillsboro.
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In an emotional rollercoaster of a sectional final, Gillespie’s season came to a bittersweet end with a nail-biting 2-3 defeat at the hands of Newton this past Saturday, May 25.
Newton swooped in with a late-game rally, clinching the win over Gillespie. Tensions were high all game long. Newton made an explosive statement right out of the gates when Sally Mahaffey blasted a solo home run to right field. Gillespie’s response was swift, with a double from Emma Gipson in the bottom of the first to tie the game at one apiece.
The scoreboard remained unchanged as both teams dug in until the sixth inning, when Sadie Sholtis’ single sent a runner home, pushing Gillespie into the lead. A hit off the bat of Audrie Reich allowed Newton to tie the game up 2–2. Newton clinched the lead in the top of the eighth and held off Gillespie with three straight outs in the bottom of the eighth, taking the win.
Emma Gipson led Gillespie in the hit column, going 2 for 4 with one RBI. Sholtis went 1 for 2 at the plate with one run, one RBI, and two walks pocketed. Lauren Bertagnolli went 1 for 3 with one run plated. Wrigley Releford and Laci Shuckenbrock both had a hit in their efforts.
While this may not be the end that Gillespie hoped for, they still had a phenomenal season. Gillespie’s season record is a testament to their grit and tenacity ending 29-5 on the season. The Miners have three seniors departing the team including Lauren Bertagnolli, Emma Gipson, and Wrigley Releford.
