Published on October 5, 2026 7:29 am
Last Updated on October 5, 2026 7:31 am
EAST PEORIA — Effingham St. Anthony Junior High School came out the Class 2A State Tournament baseball champions during the weekend at the Eastside Centre in East Peoria.
The Bullpups opened the tourney with a 9-5 victory over Peru Parkside. St. Anthony moved into a 2-0 opening inning lead then tacked on another run in the third. Peru Parkside tallied a run in the fifth.
But the Bullpups matched that with another run in the fifth then finished strong with five runs in the seventh for the win.
St. Anthony had eight hits led by James Gilmore with a single and double, Brooks Niebrugge with two singles, Collin Storm with a single and two RBI and Will Ludwig with an RBI.
Nash Hoene opened on the mound for the Bullpups going 5.1 innings for the win, giving up one run on three hits, walking three and striking out nine.
In the second contest, St. Anthony dominated Bluffs by an 11-1 count in five innings.
St. Anthony edged out to a1-0 opening inning lead then tacked on three in the second and ended the game via the 10-run rule with seven in the fifth.
Hoene had a single, triple and two RBI while Storm had a double and two RBI. Ryan Wohltman, Owen Gillenwater and Niebrugge finished with a single and an RBI each. Gilmore added an RBI.
Verdeyen went the five innings, giving up one run on three hits, walking three and striking out four.
That put the Bullpups into the championship game against Downs Tri-Valley.
Tri-Valley jumped into a 4-0 lead in the second inning. St. Anthony tallied two in the third and that’s where the scoring stood until the dramatic seventh inning.
St. Anthony came back with three runs in the bottom of the seventh to pull out the 5-4 victory on a walkoff single.
McAllaster had a single, double and two RBI while Wohltman added a double. Niebrugge finished with two singles and three RBI.
Myers came on to take the victory. He went the last 2.1 innings giving up no runs on no hits, no walks whiles striking out two.
Class 2A State Tournament
Game One
St. Anthony 200 101 5 — 9-7-2
Peru Parkside 000 010 4 — 5-8-4
WP — Hoene. LP — Martin.
St. Anthony — Niebrugge, 2 singles; McAllaster, single; Verdeyen, single; Wohltman, 2 RBI; Gilmore, single; Storm, single, 2 RBI; Hoene, single, 1 RBI
Peru Parkside — Vezzetti, 2 singles; Lamps, 2 singles, 1 RBI; Martin, single, 1 RBI; Hermos, single; Fitpzatrick, 2 singles, 1 RBI; Michaelson, 1 RBI; Miller, 1 RBI
Game Two
St. Anthony 130 07 — 11-6-2
Bluffs 001 00 — 1-3-5
WP — Verdeyen. LP — VanTuyle.
St. Anthony — Niebrugge, single, 1 RBI; Wohltman, single, 1 RBI; Gilmore, 1 RBI; Storm, single, 2 RBI; Hoene, 2 singles, 2 RBI; Gillenwater, single, 1RBI
Bluffs — Little, 2 singles; Lashmett, single
Championship
Downs Tri-Valley 040 000 0 — 4-5-1
St. Anthony 002 000 3 — 5-7-3
WP — Myers. LP — Holmes.
Downs Tri-Valley — Wicken, 1 RBI; Martin, single; McLean, single; Walden, 2 singles, 2 RBI; Knobloch, single; Jacob, 1 RBI
St. Anthony — Niebrugge, 2 singles, 3 RBI; McAllaster, single, double, 2 RBI; Wohltman, double; Dust, single; Hoene, single