Published on September 16, 2026 10:13 am
Last Updated on September 16, 2026 10:49 am
Effingham Junior High School is headed to State.
Effingham Junior High School is headed back to State.
The Mustangs pounded Mahomet-Seymour, 17-5 and will be returning to the Class 3A State Softball Tournament for the third year in a row.
Effingham finished with 19 hits in the contest while S. Wiedman picked up the pitching win, going five innings, giving up only two hits, two runs, striking out six and walking three.
Meanwhile, A. Gouchenouer, L. Lauritzen and M. Hartke provided the hitting punch. Gouchenouer had a single, double, triple and four RBI while M. Hartke had two singles, a triple and four RBI and Lauritzen two singles, a double and an RBI.
K. Robertson added a single and triple while T. Patton had a single, double and an RBI. H. Westjohn had two singles and an RBI. S. Wiedman added a single, triple and an RBI, E. Moore a double and an RBI and M. Niemerg an RBI.
The Mustangs, who improved to 14-4, will be playing a game at Champion Fields in Normal Friday at 3:30 p.m. against Geneseo (12-0).
In other games, Frankfort Hickory Creek (16-3) meets Manteno (15-1-1) at 9:30 a.m., Mount Zion (17-2) takes on Barrington Prairie (9-1) at 11:30 a.m. and Stanford Olympia faces the winner of Sectional H at 1:30 p.m.
The winners will advance to the semifinals at 9:30 and 11:30 a.m. Saturday. The third place contest is scheduled for 1:30 p.m. and the championship at 3:30.
Class 3A Effingham Sectional
Effingham 121 055 3 — 17-19-2
Mahomet-Seymour 000 023 0 — 5- 6-4
WP — Wiedman. LP — only first name listed.
Effingham — Gouchenouer, single, double, triple, 4 RBI; Robertson, single, triple; Niemerg, 1 RBI; Patton, single, double, 1 RBI; Jones, single; Moore, double, 1 RBI; Wiedman, single, triple, 1 RBI; Hartke, 2 singles, triple, 4 RBI; Lauritzen, 2 singles, double, 1 RBI; Westjohn, 2 singles, 1 RBI
Mahomet-Seymour — only first names listed.
At Cumberland
Jasper County edged Cumberland 3-2 in seven innings to win the Cumberland Sectional Tuesday.
Jasper County improved to 17-3 on the season and will now meet Rushville Schuyler Industry (16-1) Friday at noon at the Class 2A State Tournament at Champion Fields in Normal.
In other games, Metamora faces the winner of Sectional E at 10 a.m., Gillespie goes against the winner of Sectional D at 2 p.m. and Orion and Beecher square off at 4 p.m.
The winners advance to the semifinals Saturday at 10 a.m. and noon. The third place contest is scheduled for 2 p.m. and the championship at 4.
At Hutsonville
South Central came up short in the Class 1A Hutsonville Sectional Tuesday.
The Falcons fell to West Salem 10-8.
Alexa Gile hit a two-run homer as South Central moved ahead. But West Salem came back with a run in the bottom of the first to trail 2-1.
West Salem then opened the game up with eight runs to move ahead 9-2. The Falcons came back with a run in the top of the fifth as Lexy Garrett hit a triple and came home on Skylar Webster’s single.
West Salem tallied another run to lead 10-3.
In the top of the sixth, Emory Burdine had a leadoff single. McKenna Mette followed with a single and Ellie Wiliams drew walk to load the bases. Raelyn Parker reached base on an error and a run scored. Webster also reached base on an error and two runs scored as the Falcons pulled within 10-6.
Gile followed with a single, scoring two runs and the Falcons had pulled within 10-8.
In the seventh, Rya Sidwell singled with two outs and Williams took base on a dropped third strike. But it wasn’t to be as the final out came ending the game.
South Central finished the season with an 18-4 record.