Hearts Advance to Regional Title Game w/Win Over Champaign Centennial

The Effingham Hearts will take on Apollo Conference rival Charleston for the Class 3A Mahomet-Seymour Regional Tournament championship after posting a 5-2 win Friday night over Champaign Centennial.

Trailing 1-0 after two innings, the Hearts scored in the third and fourth to pull ahead 2-1. Centennial tied the game 2-2 in the fifth, but the Hearts posted a three-run sixth inning to claim the win.

Zach Lee pitched a great game for Effingham, allowing just two runs, both unearned, on four hits and a walk while striking out six. Brent Beals came on to record the final out and pick up the save.

At the plate for Effingham: Brett Koester--RBI; Ryan Sandifer--single, walk, run scored, RBI; Brent Beals--two singles, RBI; Lane Koenig--RBI; Mason Hull--double; Zach Lee--walk; Kendal Ballman--double, run scored; Cooper Jackson--two singles, run scored, RBI; Parker Seachrist--single, walk, run scored; Brayton Poland--run scored

Game time for Effingham and Charleston is Saturday at 4pm.

Class 3A Mahomet-Seymour Regional

Centennial             010    010    0    --    2-4-0

Effingham              001    103    x    --    5-8-4

WP -- Lee. LP -- Sarver.

Champaign Centennial -- Sarver, single; Williams, single, 1 RBI; Lindgren, 2 singles, 1 RBI

Effingham -- Koester, 1 RBI; Sandifer, single, 1 RBI; Beals, 2 singles, 1 RBI; Koenig, 1 RBI; Hull, double; Ballman, double; Jackson, 2 singles, 1 RBI; Seachrist, single