The Sentinel: Search results for Alyssa Acton

Photo Gallery | Spartan softball team post opening victory

St. Joseph-Ogden sophomore Maggie Ward winds up for a pitch during the Spartans' season opener last. The Spartans rolled to a 12-7 victory to start the 2020-21 season. Ward threw 64 pitches during her five innings in the circle to earn her first win of the season. The sophomore hurler struck out three and gave up three runs and four hits in her varsity debut.

Photo: PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks

Audrey Short, Peyton Jones, Kaylee Ward and the rest of team wait to greet teammate Alyssa Acton at home plate after her two-run homer.

Photo: PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks

Alyssa Acton smiles after her 2-run homer

First base player Alyssa Acton is all smiles after hitting her first home run of the season. The two-run shot extended the Spartans' lead over the visiting Chargers, 10-4. The sophomore, who crossed the plate twice during the contents, also finished the game with two hits and two RBIs.

Photo: PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks

Starter Sophia Martlage winds up for a pitch during the opening inning of the game. Martlage tossed 40 pitches giving up three hits and four runs during her two-inning appearance for SJO.

Photo: PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks

Kaylee Ward gets fist bump from head coach Larry Sparks as she heads to the dugout after her 1-out two run homer down the right field line. The senior tallied six RBI thanks in part to her long ball and a double.

Photo: PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks

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Prep Sports Notebook: Softball and baseball teams notch wins

Alyssa Acton hits a foul ball against Olympia

Alyssa Acton hits a foul ball during SJO home game against Olympia. Today, in the Spartans' road game at Rantoul, the sophomore had 3 hits including a home run and 4 RBIs.

Photo: PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks

Spartans pick up 10th win of the season

Alyssa Acton put a shot over the fence in the fifth inning for a two-run homer to increase the St. Joseph-Ogden softball team's commanding lead over Rantoul, 11-4. In the next frame, Shayne Immke drilled a three-run, inside-the-park home run in the Illini Prairie Conference duel to put the Spartans up, 16-4.

Any hopes of an Eagles comeback was extinquished 1-2-3 by Acton, who was throwing heat from the circle. In her five-inning appearance, the sophomore slugger averaged just 12 pitches per frame to help the SJO pick up their 10th win of the season.

Emily Curtis, who gave up a pair of home runs and a double on 13 hits, earned the loss for the Eagles.

It was another superb outing also for Kelsey Martlage, who went 3-for-5 with 2 RBIs, Immke with 2 hits and 3 RBIs and Maggie Ward (2-for-3) with two of the team's 11 stolen bases and a pair of RBIs.

Unity shuts out IPC foe

Every Unity batter that stepped in the box in today's home game today against Pontiac booked at least one hit in win #8 for the Rockets after handing the visiting Indians a 9-0 shutout.

Pitcher Taylor Henry, now 4-0 overall for the season, struck out 14.

The Rockets enjoyed back-to-back solo home runs in the bottom of the third, first from freshman Ruby Tarr, who went 2-for-4 on the day, and then from Henry, the next batter in the lineup, on a 3-1 count.

Madeline Reed and Gracie Renfrow hit a double during one of their three trips to the plate. Reed scored twice and contributed an RBI. Renfrow's offensive contribution included a pair of runs and 2 hits. Elise Swanstrom hit a triple and put two runs over the plate.

Unity improves to 3-0 in conference play. Next up, the Rockets take on IVC at home on Saturday with the first game of the twin bill starting at noon.

Spartan baseball team rebounds

It is hard to keep a good team down.

After dropping a disappointing heartbreaker to Maroa-Forsyth one day earlier, the St. Joseph-Ogden baseball team picked up their 13th victory of the season after beating Rantoul 8-7 on the road this afternoon.

Down 7-3 in the bottom of the fourth inning, SJO rallied back scoring five runs in the last two innings of the game for the win.

The key moment came on a one-out sacrifice fly ball from Andrew Beyers's in the top of the six that allowed senior Crayton Burnett to cross the plate from third for the go-ahead run.

The Spartans relied on three pitchers to get through their toughest conference game so far this season. Connor Hale was on the bump for two innings, Griffin Roesch saw action for just over an inning and Avian Gerdes three complete innings. The trio tossed 157 pitches and combined for nine strikeouts.

Hayden Brazelton and Isaiah Immke had two hits apiece. Ty Pence, Crayton Burnett and Keaton Nolan scored two times each for SJO.

Spartan Spotlight: Senior Joey Acton plans to work his way up the corporate ladder

Under normal circumstances, Joey Acton and the St. Joseph-Ogden baseball team would have traveled to Mahomet to face the Bulldogs in a non-conference varsity baseball game yesterday. Acton would have probably came in to close out the game for the pitching W and the rest of the team would have returned home with a 8-5 win under their belts.

I say probably because the spring sport season is still on hold while the country prepares for the spread of the coronavirus pandemic. Time is running out for Acton to throw strikes, pick off batters and pad his personal pitching record with wins in what would be his final year of varsity baseball at SJO.

If you ask, the senior would probably tell you he thinks the mixture of spring and baseball is as good as it gets. Almost no one can argue with that point of view after almost five months of basketball and dreary central Illinois winter weather. But, with the state under a shelter-in-place order and the Illinois High School Association's hold on spring sports, all he can do is wait.

While Acton said his greatest memories at SJO have been on a baseball diamond, he was also three-year veteran golfer and die one tour on gridiron playing football for the Spartans.

Despite not yet taking the field this season, he said he has really enjoyed all of the great moments with his team during all four years of high school baseball.

Fortunately, he did compete in one other varsity sport his senior year. Months before the Coronavirus made the jump from what scientists believe to be a bat species to humans, Acton represented St. Joseph-Ogden playing golf.

Joey's advice to SJO students

"Always stay ahead on homework and stay focused"

Finishing with an 89 at the Oakwood regional tournament, he advanced to the El Paso-Gridley sectional with a shot at advancing to state in the balance. Unfortunately, he did not make the final cut shooting 48 on the front nine and 59 on the back for a final tally of 107 stokes.

With graduation just a few short weeks away, Acton, who has made the Honor Roll all three quarters this year, plans to attend Illinois State University to major in business.

"In ten years I hope to be working my way up the ranks of a corporate sales team for some big business somewhere," said Acton, who lives in St. Joseph with his mom, dad, and younger sister, Alyssa. "I see myself having a wife and a stable job with a beautiful house to come home to."

To be successful in the business world, most people need mentors. When asked to name three people he would like to share a meal and what he want to learn from them, Acton replied with a sports superstar and two of the world's most successful names in business innovation.

"If I could have a meal with three different people, I would choose Kobe Bryant, Elon Musk and Bill Gates," he said. "I would choose Kobe to learn his work ethic. I would choose Elon Musk and Bill Gates to gain knowledge of the business world and what it has to offer."

Given the changes that will happen once America's current battle with the Covid-19 virus is brought under control, there will be a great deal of changes and innovations needed to keep the economy strong. In addition to the virus effect on the business sphere, Action acknowledges other changes to life as we know it.

"I believe this virus will change life in America for the better," he said. "It will teach us to not be selfish, whether it be going out when you aren’t supposed to or not taking every roll of toilet paper at the store so grandpa and grandma can have some."

With the focus on hygiene as a method to avoid a coronavirus infection, Acton thinks that the changes we'll see is a good thing.

"I also believe it will clean up America. Everyone will continue to wash their hands frequently and clean off surfaces that may be touched by many people often. This continued use of cleaning techniques will keep America illness free and healthier as a whole."

While at SJO, Acton was also a member of the Maroon Platoon and Spanish Club.

"I can piece together some Spanish when I really think about it - thanks to Señor Sutton!" he said. "If I could speak languages fluently I would chose Mandarin and Spanish so I could use them to my advantage in the business world."

His favorite class at SJO was trig with math teacher Kiel Duval during his junior year and includes his Spanish teacher Zak Sutton as one of his favorite teachers in high school.

During 3rd grade and 6th grade at St. Joseph Grade School and St. Joseph Middle School, Mrs. Mabry was his favorite teacher before high school.

Acton's hobbies include playing Wiffle ball, video games, and enjoying spending time outdoors.

266 SJO students named to first quarter Honor Roll

On Tuesday, St. Joseph-0gden High School announced that 266 students earned Honor Roll status for their work during the first quarter of classes this academic year.

The senior class led in number of honors with 73 students achieving a 3.75 or higher average grade during the period. The sophomore and junior classes boast 42 high honor receipients, followed by the senior class with 41 honor roll students and the class of 2024 with 39.

Students named to the High Honors earned GPAs of 3.75 or higher on a 4.0 scale. Those attaining GPAs of 3.25 to 3.74 are recognized as Honor Roll students.