Hearts Claim Regional Softball Championship

Effingham High School went into the Class 2A Softball Regional championship game against Charleston the underdog. The Hearts lost to the Trojans in an Apollo Conference doubleheader early in the season by 4-2 and 7-0 counts but Coach Jerry Trigg's outfit wasn't daunted.

EHS came back strong in the regional title contest as Aly Armstrong went the distance, throwing  a five-hitter, allowing no walks and striking out 11.

The Hearts took a 1-0 lead in the top of the third. Carsyn Fearday singled with one out on the board. She stole second and came home on a single by Lauryn Douthit.

Effingham then came up big defensively in the bottom of the third. Charleston's Emily Price singled before Natalie Gordon bunted. But the bunt turned into a pop-up and Effingham's Jenna Wright made a diving catch and then threw to first getting Price out.

The Hearts came back with their second run in the fifth on a Chloe Funneman homer.

The Trojans came back in the seventh putting a runner on base on a pop-up that dropped. The next batter got a single to put the tying run on base. But Armstrong got tough and struck out the next two batters and the third out came on a pop-up and the Hearts were regional champions for the second straight year.

Effingham sports a 19-9 record and will now move on to the Chatham Glenwood Sectional Tuesday. The Hearts will take on either Clinton or Rochester at 6:30 p.m. Clinton faces Rochester Saturday for the championship of the Clinton Regional at 11 a.m.

Class 3A Effingham Regional

Championship

Effingham              001    010    0    --    2-6-1

Charleston             000    000    0    --    0-5-0

WP -- Armstrong. LP -- Price.

Effingham -- Fearday, single; Douthit, 2 singles, 1 RBI; Schafer, single; Budde, single; Funneman, home run (fifth, none on), 1 RBI

Charleston -- Gordon, double; McElravy, double; Misner, single; Hildebeck, single; Price, single