IHSA baseball scores: What's next for the Peoria-area teams in the sectional finals

[ASFN Admin]

After posting sectional semifinal victories on Wednesday, June 3, seven Peoria-area baseball teams have moved onto the Sweet Sixteen of the Illinois High School Association postseason.

In Class 1A, Tremont, Monmouth United and Putnam County will play in the Sweet Sixteen. Brimfield/Elmwood meets Illini West in Class 2A. Mid-Illini Conference foes East Peoria and Dunlap will square off for a Class 3A Elite Eight berth.

IHSA baseball: 10 Peoria-area teams headed to sectionals in IHSA baseball state tournament

Here is what's facing that group of seven teams as they head into sectional title games on Saturday, June 6:

CLASS 1A​

Tremont​

• How they won: Tremont used 12 hits in a 7-1 win over Athens at the Bloomington Sectional semifinal. The Turks, who are winners of 21 in a row dating back to April 13, now have a chance to win a sectional championship for the first time since 2012. Valparaiso signee Andrew Dawson twirled a gem. The senior posted 12 strikeouts, one walk and three hits on 101 pitches in a complete game. Four runs in the bottom of the first was all Tremont needed. Griffin Meeker (3-for-3) led the game with a triple, then scored when Justin Musselman ripped a three-bagger of his own. Dawson's RBI-sacrifice fly and a two-run home run by Hunter Smith (2-for-3) made it 4-0. Meeker's second triple scored two more in fourth.
• What's next: Tremont (35-2) vs. Lexington (23-11), 11 a.m. Saturday, June 6 in the Bloomington Sectional final.

Monmouth United​

• How they won: The Red Storm has a chance to win the program's first-ever sectional title following a 5-1 win over Mt. Sterling Brown County (20-7-2) in the Camp Point Central Sectional semifinals. United struck for a pair of runs in the third, breaking a 1-1 tie. An RBI groundout from Nolan Jenks along with Collin Leary's two-out, run-scoring single put the Red Storm ahead for good. Leary added his second RBI off a fielder's choice in the fifth followed by Chance Stewart (3-for-4, double) setting the final score with his sixth-inning RBI single. Ian Leffler and Egan Marshall each added two hits for the Red Storm, who recorded nine in the game. Aiden Martin went the distance in the win, striking out seven, walking two and giving up four hits in 7.0 innings.
• What's next: Monmouth United (30-5-2) vs. Jacksonville Routt (22-12), 11 a.m. Saturday, June 6 in the Camp Point Central Sectional final.

Putnam County​

• How they won: Putnam County used a potent offense to reach the Sweet Sixteen, looking to match the success from a 2013 Class 1A state runner-up finish. The host Panthers run-ruled Newark 11-1 in five innings at the Granville Sectional semifinal. Back-to-back four-run innings in the third and fourth lifted PC to a nine-run advantage. Johnathon Stunkel's two-run homer mixed with a two-run scoring triple by Wyatt Zellers put Putnam County ahead 6-0 in the third. A wild pitch, a two-run single from Peyton Barto (3-for-3, three RBIs) and an error accounted for the four-run fourth. Stunkel and Rudy Villagomez combined on a four-hitter, getting seven total strikeouts and no walks on just 71 pitches. PC has outscored its playoffs opponents, 24-4.
• What's next: Putnam County (23-11) vs. Fulton (19-8), 11 a.m. Saturday, June 6 in the Granville Sectional final.

CLASS 2A​

Brimfield/Elmwood​

• How they won: Brimfield/Elmwood heads to the Sweet Sixteen following a 7-6, eight-inning win over Taylor Ridge Rockridge in the Chillicothe Sectional semifinal. In the bottom of the eight, the Indians picked up the walk-off victory thanks to Dan Fagerburg (2-for-4). His single to center scored Griffin Hougham (2-for-4), who kept the game alive with a two-out single. B/E had jumped ahead 6-0 through four innings, getting five runs in the bottom of the third. Illinois State signee Kaeden Schatsiek got the scoring started with an RBI groundout followed by run-scoring hits from Noah Malone and Hougham along with Connor Doe (2-for-4) scoring on a wild pitch. But Rockridge (29-8) scored five runs in the sixth, then tied the game in the seventh.
• What's next: Brimfield/Elmwood (31-5) vs. Illini West (28-7), 1 p.m. Saturday, June 6 in the Chillicothe Sectional final.

Illini West​

• How they won: Illini West finds itself one win away from the program's second-ever sectional title and first since 2015. The Chargers got an all-around effort from Wesley Robertson in a 5-1 win over Monmouth-Roseville at the Chillicothe Sectional semifinal. Robertson tossed a four-hit gem, striking out 10 and walking two off 96 pitches for the complete-game victory. His bat helped supply some much-needed offense. In the bottom of the first, his sacrifice fly to center scored Eli Bisby for a 1-0 lead. An inning later, Robertson stepped to the plate with the bases loaded and two outs. He roped a double to left field to send home three for a four-run advantage. From there, he allowed just four baserunners.
• What's next: Illini West (28-7) vs. Brimfield/Elmwood (31-5), 1 p.m. Saturday, June 6 in the Chillicothe Sectional final.

CLASS 3A​

East Peoria​

• How they won: East Peoria beat Mid-Illini Conference foe Metamora 1-0 in the Washington Sectional semifinal. The Raiders survived a bases-loaded seventh inning for a shot to win the program's first sectional title since 1974. EP starter Dalton Oakman induced a game-ending double play to get out of the jam. The lefty tossed the complete-game shutout with three strikeouts and two walks on 97 pitches. His run support came in the form of an RBI single by Eli Martin, scoring Jackson Ahrens, who led off the bottom of the first with a double. Metamora (26-9) left 11 runners on base. Mason Sauder went 2-for-4 for the Redbirds. Stephen Petri took the loss with eight strikeouts and two walks.
• What's next: East Peoria (25-13) vs. Dunlap (30-7), 11 a.m. Saturday, June 6 in the Washington Sectional final.

Dunlap​

• How they won: The Eagles led early before scoring five runs over the last two innings for a Sweet Sixteen appearance. Dunlap used 16 hits to beat Joliet Catholic Academy 11-7 in the Washington Sectional semifinal. In the first three innings, Dunlap had jumped ahead 5-0, then 6-5 before JCA tied the game in the bottom of the fifth. However, the Eagles brought the bats in the sixth with four hits, highlighted by a two-run single from Bradley commit Eli Michanicou as well as a run-scoring base hit by Isaac Babbs. The seventh inning was nearly the same as Dunlap again pounded out four hits for two runs. JCA made it interesting in the bottom of the seventh, but Dunlap shut the door when Brett Alkire (four RBIs) induced a line out to leave the bases loaded.
• What's next: Dunlap (30-7) vs. East Peoria (25-13), 11 a.m. Saturday, June 6 in the Washington Sectional final.

Adam Duvall is a Journal Star sports reporter. Email him at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter @AdamDuvall.

This article originally appeared on Journal Star: IHSA baseball: 2026 sectionals scores for Peoria-area schools

Continue reading...