Redbirds fall to EHS in title game

Edwardsville rolls past Alton

Matt Kamp For The Telegraph

 Updated 6:21 pm CDT, Saturday, May 25, 2019

Photo:

Matt Kamp, Intelligencer | For The Telegraph

IMAGE 1 OF 13

Edwardsville’s Joe Copeland, left, slides safely into home ahead of the tag by Alton catcher Owen Stendeback in the Class 4A Alton Regional championship game on Saturday at AHS.

ALTON — Following Edwardsville’s 8-1 victory over Alton Saturday in the championship game of the Alton Class 3A Regional, both baseball teams felt there was work remaining to be done.

But only Edwardsville will get a chance to finish that work this season.

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“Coming back, I appreciate everything the group has done. It’s not easy with a coaching change. The kids worked hard. I wish we could have been a little bit more successful,” said Alton coach Scott Harper, who returned to the AHS dugout from Roxana this year. He also coached Alton in 2007 and 2008.

Like the previous meeting this season between the two teams, Edwardsville took advantage of a wild Alton pitching staff. The Redbirds walked 11, including seven through the first two innings.

Alton pitchers walked 10 in a walk-off 6-5 Edwardsville victory April 26. On Saturday, six of Edwardsville’s eight runs were scored by runners who walked. Alton ends its season at 14-19 — its fewest victories since going 14-20 in 2010. The Redbirds finished under .500 for the second consecutive season for the first time since 1998-99.

“We could have easily rolled over and been short-gamed after five,” Harper said, “but the kids kept battling.”

Jackson Brooks had two of Alton’s three hits.

Edwardsville (32-5) advances to face Belleville West (27-7) in the semifinals of the Illinois Wesleyan Sectional. A time and location hasn’t been announced.

“We have to take this one game at a time. The ultimate goal is state. Today isn’t the end goal,” said EHS catcher Jacob Kitchen, who had a two-run double in the third inning to break the game open.

The Maroons defeated the O’Fallon Panthers (25-9) 6-4 to win the Granite City Regional on Saturday.

EHS and Belleville West split its two meetings in the regular season.

Edwardsville coach Tim Funkhouser, who has 14 regional titles with the program, hopes to carry the winning formula from the Alton Regional into the sectional.

“Getting good pitching, timely hitting and good defense have done pretty well in the past for the winning team. Fortunately, we were on that side today,” Funkhouser said. “I really like the way our guys compete and cherish the opportunity to play at Edwardsville.

“Coach (Mike) Waldo always said to not take winning a regional for granted and we aren’t going to. These are special.”

“We were able to capitalize on the walks and score,” Kitchen said.

Edwardsville opened up a 1-0 lead in the second when Joe Toscano scored on a wild pitch. He walked with one out, moved to second on a walk to Kitchen and to third on a wild pitch.

EHS loaded the bases on three straight walks — two from Alton starter Riley Phillips and one from reliever Michael Reeder — to start the inning. He nearly worked his way out of the jam, getting a force out at home and a fly out to shallow center.

Toscano, facing a 1-2 count, hit a two-run single to extend the lead to 3-0.

Kitchen followed with a long two-run double into left field, making it 5-0.

“We were able to survive through the first two innings, but then they were able to get the two big hits with the bases loaded. It makes it a challenge,” Harper said. “We gave up a base hit off the end of the bat and then Kitchen, their MVP, ripped the ball over our left fielder’s head.”

Getting the start in place of Dalton Wallace, who was ejected in Wednesday’s game against Quincy, Kitchen went 2 of 3 with two RBIs. He also had two hits in the win over Quincy.

Phillips didn’t allow a hit in his two innings of work, but he walked seven and allowed three runs. He struck out four. Reeder allowed four runs on five hits with three walks and a strikeout in three innings of relief.

The five runs were more than enough support for EHS starting pitcher Matthew Boyer, who allowed two hits and struck out six in five innings. He threw 71 pitches.

“All of my pitches were working. I was able to throw my secondary pitches whenever I needed to. I felt good all week leading into this start,” Boyer said.

EHS added two runs in the fourth, getting an RBI double by Max Ringering and a sacrifice fly from Josh Ohl, for the 7-0 lead.

After Alton scored on an infield RBI single by Robby Taul, Edwardsville got the run back on Ringering’s single to score Westcott for the 8-1 lead.

Edwardsville finished with seven hits, including two apiece from Joe Copeland, Ringering and Kitchen.

Westcott scored three runs and walked in all four of his plate appearances.

Redbirds fall to EHS in title game

Edwardsville rolls past Alton

Matt Kamp For The Telegraph

 Updated 6:21 pm CDT, Saturday, May 25, 2019

Photo:

Matt Kamp, Intelligencer | For The Telegraph

IMAGE 1 OF 13

Edwardsville’s Joe Copeland, left, slides safely into home ahead of the tag by Alton catcher Owen Stendeback in the Class 4A Alton Regional championship game on Saturday at AHS.

ALTON — Following Edwardsville’s 8-1 victory over Alton Saturday in the championship game of the Alton Class 3A Regional, both baseball teams felt there was work remaining to be done.

But only Edwardsville will get a chance to finish that work this season.

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00:02

01:12

“Coming back, I appreciate everything the group has done. It’s not easy with a coaching change. The kids worked hard. I wish we could have been a little bit more successful,” said Alton coach Scott Harper, who returned to the AHS dugout from Roxana this year. He also coached Alton in 2007 and 2008.

Like the previous meeting this season between the two teams, Edwardsville took advantage of a wild Alton pitching staff. The Redbirds walked 11, including seven through the first two innings.

Alton pitchers walked 10 in a walk-off 6-5 Edwardsville victory April 26. On Saturday, six of Edwardsville’s eight runs were scored by runners who walked. Alton ends its season at 14-19 — its fewest victories since going 14-20 in 2010. The Redbirds finished under .500 for the second consecutive season for the first time since 1998-99.

“We could have easily rolled over and been short-gamed after five,” Harper said, “but the kids kept battling.”

Jackson Brooks had two of Alton’s three hits.

Edwardsville (32-5) advances to face Belleville West (27-7) in the semifinals of the Illinois Wesleyan Sectional. A time and location hasn’t been announced.

“We have to take this one game at a time. The ultimate goal is state. Today isn’t the end goal,” said EHS catcher Jacob Kitchen, who had a two-run double in the third inning to break the game open.

The Maroons defeated the O’Fallon Panthers (25-9) 6-4 to win the Granite City Regional on Saturday.

EHS and Belleville West split its two meetings in the regular season.

Edwardsville coach Tim Funkhouser, who has 14 regional titles with the program, hopes to carry the winning formula from the Alton Regional into the sectional.

“Getting good pitching, timely hitting and good defense have done pretty well in the past for the winning team. Fortunately, we were on that side today,” Funkhouser said. “I really like the way our guys compete and cherish the opportunity to play at Edwardsville.

“Coach (Mike) Waldo always said to not take winning a regional for granted and we aren’t going to. These are special.”

“We were able to capitalize on the walks and score,” Kitchen said.

Edwardsville opened up a 1-0 lead in the second when Joe Toscano scored on a wild pitch. He walked with one out, moved to second on a walk to Kitchen and to third on a wild pitch.

EHS loaded the bases on three straight walks — two from Alton starter Riley Phillips and one from reliever Michael Reeder — to start the inning. He nearly worked his way out of the jam, getting a force out at home and a fly out to shallow center.

Toscano, facing a 1-2 count, hit a two-run single to extend the lead to 3-0.

Kitchen followed with a long two-run double into left field, making it 5-0.

“We were able to survive through the first two innings, but then they were able to get the two big hits with the bases loaded. It makes it a challenge,” Harper said. “We gave up a base hit off the end of the bat and then Kitchen, their MVP, ripped the ball over our left fielder’s head.”

Getting the start in place of Dalton Wallace, who was ejected in Wednesday’s game against Quincy, Kitchen went 2 of 3 with two RBIs. He also had two hits in the win over Quincy.

Phillips didn’t allow a hit in his two innings of work, but he walked seven and allowed three runs. He struck out four. Reeder allowed four runs on five hits with three walks and a strikeout in three innings of relief.

The five runs were more than enough support for EHS starting pitcher Matthew Boyer, who allowed two hits and struck out six in five innings. He threw 71 pitches.

“All of my pitches were working. I was able to throw my secondary pitches whenever I needed to. I felt good all week leading into this start,” Boyer said.

EHS added two runs in the fourth, getting an RBI double by Max Ringering and a sacrifice fly from Josh Ohl, for the 7-0 lead.

After Alton scored on an infield RBI single by Robby Taul, Edwardsville got the run back on Ringering’s single to score Westcott for the 8-1 lead.

Edwardsville finished with seven hits, including two apiece from Joe Copeland, Ringering and Kitchen.

Westcott scored three runs and walked in all four of his plate appearances.