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Softball takes Regional Championship over Southwestern

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Advance to Sectional Semi-Finals

The Gillespie High School girls softball team poses for a picture with their Regional plaque after winning Regionals Saturday morning. The girls will play Alton Marquette Wednesday afternoon in Vandalia.

The softball team pounded Southwestern on Saturday 11-1 at Hillsboro Regional in six innings. The Miners scored four runs in the fifth on an RBI single by Abbie Cline, an error, and an RBI single by Payton Anderson.

Molly Gray racked up two RBIs on three hits for GHS Softball. She singled in the second, fourth, and sixth innings.

Laura Halpin racked up six strikeouts in the win as she allowed no earned runs, three hits and five walks over six innings.

The Miners jumped out 2-0 in the first inning as Payton Anderson knocked Ellen Gray in and then later came around to score on an error. The early advantage sparked the Miner team for the next three innings as only four players got to bat.

Two innings later, the softball team moved ahead 5-0 with the help of Abbie Cline and Payton Anderson. Laura Halpin was able to score on an error while Abbie Cline knocked Molly Gray in on a line drive to center field. Cline later scored on an RBI line drive from Anderson.

Southwestern then changed pitchers, but it did not pose any trouble for the Miners as the bats were still hot against WIlfong. Just the next inning, bottom of the fifth, the Miners loaded the bases as Loni Manalia doubled, Molly Gray walked, and Ellen Gray walked. Abbie Cline brought all three runners to home with a line drive to center.

Payton Anderson then knocked in Abbie to bring the score to 9-0. In the top of the sixth, the Piasa Birds finally were able to add a digit to the away side of the scoreboard as Wooldridge reached home plate on an infield error.

Now with the score 9-1, the Miners had no trouble bringing in the last two runs to get the short game over the Birds. Loni Manalia reached second with her second double of the game while Laura Halpin walked to put the two game-ending runs on base. Molly Gray came through with a slap over the first baseman’s head to bring both runs home.

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The two runs won the game for the Miners as freshman Molly Gray was the unanimously player of the game. Molly Gray and Payton Anderson led the team with 3 hits each while Abbie Cline racked 2 hits in the Regional Championship game. Abbie Cline led the team with 4 RBI’s while Halpin got the win on the rubber.

The Miners advanced to the semi-finals in Sectionals and will play Alton Marquette Wednesday, May 23 in Vandalia with the game scheduled to start at 4:30pm.

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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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Macoupin County residential fire claims multiple victims on Saturday

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Tragedy struck in the early hours of Saturday morning in Macoupin County as a residential structure fire broke out in the 200 block of West Dean Street, Virden, resulting in the death of a male victim, the Macoupin County Coroner Anthony Kravanya announced.

The individual was pronounced deceased at 10:06 AM but the identity of the deceased has not yet been released, as authorities await the results of an autopsy scheduled for Monday, February 17, 2025. The coroner’s office indicated that a press release will be issued following the autopsy and the positive identification of the victim.

WAND reported a second victim died after being transported to Springfield Memorial Hospital according to Sangamon County Coroner Jim Allmon who confirmed a 13-year-old boy and a 34-year-old male were the victims.

The fire reportedly started around 9:30 a.m. and the home was fully engulfed when first responders arrived. Two people were reportedly rescued and life flight was requested but were not available due to the foggy weather conditions. 

An investigation into the cause of the fire is currently underway, involving multiple agencies including the Macoupin County Coroner’s Office, the Virden Police Department, the Macoupin County Sheriff’s Department, and the Office of the State Fire Marshal.

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Missions group to host trivia fundraiser on March 30

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Come and join us for an exciting afternoon of trivia as we support our local 2:18 Missions! Mark your calendars for Sunday, March 30 from 2 to 5 PM for an event that promises fun, camaraderie, and a chance to make a difference in our community. The event will be held at DeStefane Community Center in Benld, 201 East Central Avenue.

Teams of up to 10 people can participate for just $100 per table. Whether you want to reserve your table in advance or simply show up on the day of the event to pay at the door, we welcome all trivia enthusiasts to join in the competition!

Feel free to bring your own snacks and drinks to enjoy during the game—just please remember, no alcohol is allowed. For your convenience, we will have bottles of water available for purchase.

The stakes are high, and the competition is fierce! The first-place team will take home a prize of $150. Plus, bring some dollar bills to participate in “Heads and Tails” games during breaks and to buy mulligans for your team.

Don’t miss out on this fantastic opportunity to support a great cause while enjoying a lively trivia challenge. To reserve your table or for more information, contact Kristin at 217-691-7469.

Let’s make this a memorable event for our community and the 2:18 Missions!

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