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Putnam County wins ‘dogfight’ in extra innings to advance to 1A state title game · Illinois Valley - Shaw Local

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  Speaker 1: Putnam County wins dogfight and extra innings to advance to
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  one A state title game. Written by Kevin Schlum, this
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  article is being read by an automated voice brought to
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  you by Everlett. Jonathan Stunkel didn't mind the extra baseball,
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  and the pressure didn't phase him. The Putnam County baseball
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  team was on the verge of a state championship game appearance,
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  needing only one out to advance, when North Clay hit
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  a game teeing double. After relief pitcher Maddoxpool got a
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  pop up to force extra innings, Stunkel was due up
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  for the Panthers. I love it, Stunkle said about tight games.
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  It keeps you on your toes. We got extra innings today.
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  I love baseball, so as long as I get to
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  keep playing. Stunkel played a key role keeping the Panthers
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  in the hunt for the Class one A state title.
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  The senior ripped a double to left center field to
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  start the eighth inning, advanced to third on a ground out,
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  and raced home on Pools sacrifice fly to center to
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  help lift Putnam County to a four to three to
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  eight inning victory over North Clay in the semifinals at
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  Illinois Field in Champagne. I knew I was going to
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  get the job done, said Stunkel, whose teammates rushed him
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  and doused him with water after the game. I just
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  went up there, did me and got it done, and
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  I knew my teammates behind me would get me in.
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  It's awesome growing up with these guys, and now we're here.
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  There's nothing better. The Panthers twenty six to eleven, will
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  play Tremont thirty seven to two in the title game
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  at one pm Saturday in Champagne. The Turks advanced with
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  a ten to three win over Route Catholic and Friday's
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  first semifinal. They're the best team in the state according
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  to a lot of people, a lot of smart people.
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  Putnham County coach Chris Newsom said, it's going to take
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  everything we've got plus some. We'll have talks tonight and
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  make sure we don't leave anything in the tank. Now's
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  the time you don't hold anything back. You go full
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  tilt boogie and hope you're on the right end of it.
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  It's going to be a tough game. The Panthers won
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  a tough game Friday, tied to two. In the sixth,
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  Putnam County's Peyton Barto was hit by a pitch, then
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  stole second base. With two outs, Barto stole third and
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  the throw got away. Bardo started home, but third baseman
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  Trevin Sidwell bumped into him. Barto was tagged out in
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  a rundown, but was awarded home plate on an obstruction call,
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  giving the Panthers a four to three lead. I didn't
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  know if the third base umpire was going to call it,
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  Newsom said. I had my arm out immediately, telling Peyton
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  to go. The homeplate umpire took over and called it.
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  You hear the roar of emotions from the crowd. It
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  was sweet. In a perfect world, I would have loved
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  for Jonathan to close it out there, but they're good.
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  We expected them to give us the Battle of the Century.
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  Stunkle stranded two runners in the sixth and got a
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  ground ball out to start the seventh, before North Clay
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  leadoff hitter Jack Compton reached when second basement Eli King
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  lost a pop up in the sun. After another out,
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  Ian Jones ripped a double down the third base line
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  to tie it Pool, and the Panthers closed it out
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  in the eighth I'm not going to lie. I was
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  a little nervous at first, Poole said about coming on
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  in relief. I'm usually even keeled, but I was nervous.
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  But I got that pop out in the seventh and
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  the next inning I felt good, like nobody was gonna
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  beat me. The Cardinals got two runners on with a
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  walk and a hit batter with one out, but Poole
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  got to pop out. Then King ended it when he
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  fielded a ground ball and threw to Trackston Maddingly. At first,
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  I was super proud of Eli for stepping up. Newsom
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  said he was kicking himself on the fly baball that
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  got in the sun, which happens to everybody. He was
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  really hard on himself because he expects to be good
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  every single time. He got another play there to pick
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  himself up, and that was special. The Panthers had a
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  strong start, as Maddingly and Stunkel drew back to back
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  walk to open the game. After Caide Zimmerline reached on
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  a fielder's choice and stole second, Poole hit a two
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  run single to left. The Cardinals scored on a misplayed
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  fly ball in the second and on an RBI double
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  by Carter Walden in the fourth. The early runs were huge,
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  Newsom said, they came storming back. We absolutely knew this
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  was going to be a dogfight, So I think planning
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  that mentally out in your head ahead of time gives
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  us at least some breathing room when stuff does get tight,
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  because you expected this type of game. Stunkel pitched six
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  and two thirds innings, giving up three runs, one earned
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  on five hits, with five strikeouts and two walks before
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  leaving due to the pitch count. Bartow pitched one and
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  one third scoreless innings. Stunkel doubled twice and scored a run.
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  Pool was one for three with two RBIs, Bartow was
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  one for three with a run and an RBI, and
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  Mattingly was one for two with two walks and a run.
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  I'm stoked, Pool said, I'm speechless. I don't think anybody
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  expected us to be here, except for after we started
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  to get rolling. But this is awesome. Nothing is better
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  than this.