Russell Conwell/River Radio Sports Central
Darren Kinnard/River Radio Sports Central
CARBONDALE — Waltonville/Sesser-Valier seniors Brandon Menser and Hayden McMurray teamed up to throw out Parker Fiene trying to steal home to end the game securing the Spartans’ 2-1 win over Steeleville for the Cobden 1A Baseball Sectional championship, in a game moved to SIU due to wet fields.
WSV will be back at SIU Monday afternoon at 4:00 to face Pawnee in the 1A Supersectional with a trip to the state semifinals on the line.
Menser and Steeleville starter Canon Ruby hooked up in a dandy pitchers’ duel with neither giving up an earned run. Steeleville got a run in the first when Tyler Ingles scored on a passed ball. WSV scored single runs in the fourth and sixth. Jaylon Downey’s RBI single scored Lucas Lynch to tie the game at 1-1 in the fourth. Lynch then scored the go ahead run on a misplay in the sixth.
Steeleville had opportunities in both the sixth and seventh innings, but Menser and the Spartans were able to escape trouble.