BELLEVILLE – Zoe Peters came up with three hits, including a home runs, and four RBIs, while Olivia Hemmerle struck out seven in a complete game inside the circle, as Belleville East won the IHSA Class 4A Belleville West regional over the host Maroons 9-0 Saturday morning at West’s home park.
The win puts the Lancers into the Normal Community West sectional this coming week, with the Lancers meeting Edwardsville, who won their own regional on Friday over O’Fallon 16-0, on Tuesday at Mascoutah High School.
The Lancers opened the scoring with two runs each in the first and second to go ahead 4-0, then plated a single run in the third, and scored four runs in the sixth to take the 9-0 win.
Peters led the way for East with her three hits and four RBIs, while Cierra Jones had three hits, Hemmerle helped herself with two hits and an RBI, Addie Kramkowski and Ary Kohler both came up with two hits each, Abi Monroe had a hit and two RBIs, both Reese Brueggeman and Ella Monroe had a hit each, and Malia Brewer drove in a run.
Hemmerle went all the way inside the circle, allowing only one hit, walking two and striking out seven to be credited with the win.
The Lancers and Tigers, who split a pair of close Southwestern Conference games during the regular season, meet each other on Tuesday afternoon in a 4:30 p.m. start at Mascoutah, with the winner going to the final against either Bradley-Bourbonnais or Minooka next Friday, June 6, in Normal in a 4:30 p.m. start.
The sectional champions play the Lockport Township sectional winner in the Illinois Wesleyan University super-sectional June 9 at 6:30 p.m., with the winner going to the state finals June 13-14 at the Louisville Slugger Sports Complex in Peoria.
Dan Brannan also contributed to this story.
