Published on June 15, 2026 7:35 am
Last Updated on June 15, 2026 8:04 am
BY MILLIE LANGE
CHAMPAIGN — North Clay came back from its opening loss at the Class 1A State Baseball Tournament with a vengeance Saturday.
The Cardinals fell 4-3 to Putnam County Friday to drop into the third place contest where they faced Jacksonville Routt, a 16-3 loser to Tremont.
North Clay struck quickly, scoring three runs in the first inning against Routt. With one out, Cayden Craig doubled. With two outs, Carder Walden and Cody Zimdars drew back-to-back walks to load the bases. Craig scored on a balk. Walden and Zimdars came home on a single by Trent Ingram.
The Cardinals added six more runs in the second for a 9-0 lead. Jack Compton led off the frame with a single. Craig reached on a fielder’s choice as Compton was thrown out. Ian Jones and Walden drew walks to load the bases. Zimdars followed with a single, scoring two runs.
A fly ball was the second out. Sidwell then drew a walk and Zimdars advanced to second. Ben Czyzewski singled to center field, scoring Zimdars and Walden. Cooper Lewis singled and Czyzewski went to second and Sidwell took third. Compton singled home two runs and when the dust had cleared, the Cardinals had moved into a 9-0 lead.
North Clay tallied a final run in the fourth. With one out, Ingram and Sidwell had back-to-back singles. With two outs, Chad Hosselton singled home Ingram. The game ended by the 10-run rule in the fifth inning as North Clay was the 10-0 winner.
Compton went 4 1/3 innings, giving up no runs on three hits, one walk and striking out one. Sidwell came on to finish the final 2/3rds of an inning giving up one hit and striking out two.
Compton and Ingram had two singles each while Craig had a double to lead the Cardinals’ 11-hit attack. Zimdars had a single and two RBI and Hosselton a single and an RBI.
North Clay ended its season with a 36-5 record. The Cardinals were honored with a celebraton Sunday and the team was welcomed home.
In the championship game Saturday, Trenton blanked Putnam County 10-0.
In Class 2A, St. Joseph-Ogden downed Harvest-Westminster, 15-1. The third place contest went to Ottawa Marquette over Freeburg 4-1.
In Class 3A, St. Rita edged Triad 12-11 for the championship. The third place game went to East Peoria over Crystal Lake South, 7-6.
In Class 4A, Libertyville edged Maine South, 7-6 for the championship. Chicago Mount Carmel downed Naperville Central 11-2 for third place.
Class 1A State Tournament
Third Place Game
North Clay 360 10 — 10-11-0
Jacksonville Routt 000 00 — 0- 4-0
WP — Compton. LP — Brown.
North Clay — Compton, 2 singles; Craig, double; Jones, single; Zimdars, single, 2 RBI; Ingram, 2 singles; Sidwell, single; Czyzewski, single; Lewis, single; Hosselton, single, 1 RBI
Jacksonville Routt — Thompson, single; Brown, 2 singles; Brown, single