PLEASANT PLAINS - Toby Eberlin had a hit and RBI, while Joe Stephan had the only other hit for Marquette Catholic in the game, as IHSA Class 2A baseball sectional host Pleasant Plains went out to a 3-0 lead, then scored six runs in the final two innings to eliminate the Explorers 9-1 in the second semifinal game Wednesday evening at Pleasant Plains.
The win for the Cardinals advances them to the sectional final/Round of 16 game on Saturday.
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Pleasant Plains, who served as the visiting team for the game, broke out on top with a run in the first and two more in the fourth to take a 3-0 lead. The Explorers pulled to within 3-1 with a run in the bottom of the fifth inning, but the Cardinals scored twice more in the sixth and four runs in the seventh to win the game 9-1 and advance to the last 16.
Eberlin had a hit and an RBI for Marquette, while Stephen had the only other hit of the day. Keller Jacobs pitched 8.1 innings as the Explorers' starter, and gave up eight runs, two earned, on six hits walking none and striking out four. Tony Matthews pitched the final 0.2 innings, allowing an earned run on two hits, walking none, and fanning none.
The Explorers end their season 11-18, while Pleasant Plains improves to 24-12, and will play Williamsville, who defeated Roxana 2-1 in nine innings to advance to the final, on Saturday at 11 a.m. The winner goes to the super-sectional quarterfinal game against the winner of the Monticello sectional, either St. Joseph-Ogden or Tolono Unity, at Lincoln Land Community College in Springfield, Monday at 7 p.m. The state finals are set for Illinois Field on the campus of the University of Illinois in Champaign-Urbana, June 12-13.
