Senior third baseman Spencer Gaa homered and drove in three runs and Geremy Guerrero and Trent Johnson combined to allow six hits for Metamora in a 5-2 win over the host Limestone Wednesday night that earned both a title share in the Mid-Illini Conference. Gaa, headed to Bradley University, had a two-run double to highlight a four-run second inning off Rockets left-hander Dylan Weaver. Metamora (26-5, 13-1) last won the M-I title in baseball in 1996. Limestone (22-6, 13-1), also co-champion last season, was bidding to become the first team in the 31-year history of the M-I to go unbeaten in league play. Limestone in the second got an RBI single from Dominic Johnson and Adam Schmitt scored on Josh Wormer’s sacrifice fly to make the score 4-2. Redbirds freshman lefty Geremy Guerrero used the defensive support to face the minimum from the third through fifth innings and allowed five hits, struck out two and walked one. Sophomore Trent Johnson came on in the sixth. In the seventh he got Sean Green to ground into a force for the final out with two runners on.
-Bob
Limestone senior pitcher Zach Jewell was brilliant in a 2-0 victory over Metamora (25-5, 12-1)in a matchup of Mid-Illini Conference baseball unbeatens Monday evening. The Rockets (22-5, 13-0) right-hander allowed three hits, no walks and struck out six in the complete-game win. Trent Johnson, the Redbirds sophomore committed to the University of Arizona, got an inning-ending double play to escape a bases-loaded sitiation in the bottom of the fourth. Limestone loaded the bases again in the sixth, on Dylan Weaver’s single surrounded by two walks. Dominic Johnson, also a sophomore, who fanned in his first two at-bats, bounced a single through the left side that scored pinch-runner Ray Vogel and Weaver. In the seventh Jewell retired Trent Johnson and Brendan Nachtrieb on strikes after Alec Skender singled and reached second. Metamora will travel to play Limestone again in two days at 7 p.m.
-Bob
The Tremont Turks (21-0) defense made all the big plays in the final two innings — stranding six Metamora runners on base to hold on to beat the Metamora Redbirds (15-9) Monday afternoon 6-4. Metamora, which got a second-inning solo homer from Kathyrn Curtis, plated a pair of runs in the bottom of the seventh thanks to RBI singles by Heather Morris and Mckinzie Meagher. But the Redbirds left the bases loaded in the bottom of the seventh. Tremont’s Briley Spencer broke a 2-2 tie when she took a 2-1 pitch over the centerfield fence. The senior catcher drove in three runs for the game. Kennedy Runyon put the Turks up 2-0 in the first with a two-run single to center, scoring Spencer and Kali Sanders, who led the game off with a double. Sophomore pitcher Jaycee Craver (13-0) pitched a complete game for the Turks.
-Bob
Wichita State (22-5, 11-4 MVC) went on an 8-2 run in the final 40 seconds to edge Illinois State (16-11, 8-7 MVC) by a score of 68-67, Sunday night, on Doug Collins Court at Redbird Arena before 8,668 rowdy fans. Tyler Brown led four Redbirds in double figures with 17 points to go along with 17 rebounds Jackie Carmichael also had a solid game with 12 points and nine rebounds in the loss to the Shockers. Malcolm Armstead led the Shockers in scoring with 18 points. Illinois State went 0-for-7 from the field to start the game, before the Redbirds scored the first field goal of the game on a runner by Johnny Hill at the 15:52 mark. Two free throws by Brown pulled the Redbirds within 5-4, and a Bryant Allen three-point play gave ISU its first lead of the game, 7-5, with 13:12 remaining in the first half. Wichita State answered with a 9-2 run to pull within 63-60 on a Cleanthony Early three-pointer at the 2:10 mark. The Shockers then edged within two points at 67-65, after two free throws by Early and a Demetric Williams three-pointer with 28 seconds left. A turnover by Hill gave Wichita State the ball, and Early drilled a three-pointer with 4.8 seconds remaining, to give the Shockers their first lead since early in the first half. After a timeout with four seconds left, Carmichael attempted a runner in the lane, which rimmed out, securing Wichita State’s victory.
-Bob
Senior Jackie Carmichael had 27 points and 13 rebounds as streaking Illinois State avenged a loss to Bradley two weeks ago with a 79-59 victory Wednesday night. Tyler Brown added 22 points, eight rebounds and five assists for the Redbirds (16-10, 7-7 Missouri Valley). Bradley (14-12, 6-8) got 15 points from Walt Lemon Jr., 11 from Jake Eastman and 10 from Tyshon Pickett, but the Braves were hurt by a back injury to the season’s second-leading scorer, Dyricus Simms-Edwards, who went scoreless on 0-for-7 shooting while hobbling through 21 minutes. The Braves will return to Carver Arena Saturday afternoon to host Indiana State. In addition to the halftime inductions of the 2013 Bradley Athletics Hall of Fame class, Saturday’s game is being promoted as “Go Pink, Go Bradley” and the activities to promote breast cancer awareness will include the Braves wearing pink uniforms for the game.
-Bob
