Witruk pitches 11 innings, picks 2 wins for Cobras

While her kid sister was in the circle leading the Spartan softball team to a win over Tri-Valley on Saturday, St. Joseph-Ogden alumna Tori Witruk pitched 11 innings, allowing just five earned runs and striking out six, to help Parkland College softball program sweep Spoon River College on the road.

Nose to the grindstone, Witruk (7-1), who possesses a 2.71 ERA on the season after 14 appearances, help the Cobra's prevail 3-2 in game one and stop the bleeding in a the 13-10 nightcap. After picking up the wins for both contests, her seven victories are now a team-best so far this season.

In game one, the former Spartan allowed just two runs while escaping trouble in multiple innings to pick up win number six.

Morgan Parrish started game two for Parkland and hurled the first three innings of the conference slugfest. With the Cobras feeling the heat, Witruk stepped in to close out the game's final four innings, which included pitching a scoreless seventh frame.

Undefeated, top-rated SJO softball team finish the week, 4-0

In the first seven days of April and just nine games into the 2019 season, the legacy built by former St. Joseph-Ogden head coach Randy Wolken absolutely shows no sign of fading any time soon. Under first-year head coach Larry Sparks, the St. Joseph-Ogden softball team undoubtedly are once again sporting one of the largest bullseyes in Class 2A on their backs.

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Zoey Witruk winds up for a pitch against Gibson City-Melvin-Sibley. The junior picked up three pitching wins in SJO's last four games. (Photo: PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks)

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The 9-0 Spartans are chewing up opponents with the intensity of Category 4 storm. In their wake this week alone, SJO has tallied nine home runs and outscored their opponents 36-5 in four games.

Only three other teams in their division can boast a 9-game or better win streak this season.

Tuscola, on a collision course with the Spartans in less than a month on May 6, is also undefeated with 12 wins this season. The Warriors, placed in the southern quad by the IHSA, will be playing through the Johnson City super-sectional for their shot at a state appearance along with 9-0 Edwards County.

The Beecher Bobcats, who will be playing for the Joliet College super-sectional title, is also undefeated at 10-0.

The Spartans will play in the Olympia sectional with teams from Argenta-Oreana, Bismarck-Henning-Rossville-Alvin, Oakwood, Georgetown-Ridge Farm, Maroa-Forsyth, Monticello, Unity, Warrensburg-Latham, and Westville.

Here's a brief recap of this past week's action:

Dowling plasters two homer runs
Alabama commit and USA junior national team member Baily Dowling wasn't joking around on April Fool's Day. The senior started the four-game week off with two home runs for SJO. Meanwhile, junior Hannah Dukeman sent a ball yard herself in the 9-0 shutout on Monday.

Adding another win to her record this season, Zoey Witruk gave up one hit and fanned 13 in the six-inning affair.

Box Score
St. Joseph-Ogden 1 0 2 0 5 1 - 9 - -
Maroa-Forysth __  0 0 0 0 0 - - 0 - -


Witruk records 13 K's on Villa Grove
Junior Zoey Witruk struck out 13 Blue Devil batters for SJO in their 7-2 win over Villa Grove on Tuesday, April 2.

St. Joseph-Ogden seniors Savannah Smith, Katie Poulter and Bailey Dowling logged two hits apiece. Freshman Kennedy Hudson also had pair of hits to help extend the team's undefeated streak to seven games.

Box Score
St. Joseph-Ogden 1 1 2 0 3 0 - 2 - -
Villa Grove _____  1 0 0 0 0 1 - 2 - -


SJO scores 11, in one inning
Hosting Lincoln High School on April 3, St. Joseph-Ogden needed just five innings to blast the Railsplitters, 17-2. The Spartans tallied 18 hits in the non-conference victory.

SJO pounded a stunning four home runs with bombs from Hannah Dukeman, Kaylee Ward, Katie Poulter and Lauren Trankina.

Dukeman, who delivered four RBI, and Poulter tallied three hits apiece.

Ashtyn Cromwell threw a complete game for the win.

Box Score
St. Joseph-Ogden 1 1 11 5 - - - 17 - -
Lincoln ______      0 0  1 1 - - -   2 - -


Spartans score three runs on Tri-Valley
In a complete game from Zoey Witruk the Spartans knocked off the Vikings, 3-1. Witruk, who gave up four hits, struck out 14 batters in the road victory. Katie Poulter put the ball out of the park for the ninth Spartan home run for the week. Catcher Hannah Dukeman notched two hits on Saturday.

Box Score
St. Joseph-Ogden 0 0 1 1 1 0 0 3 - -
Tri-Valley ____      0 0 0 0 0 1 0 1 - -

Light runs out against the Bullets

For the second time in seven days, SJO posted a second tie this season to their record. Knotted at 2-all in the eighth inning in Saturday's Clinton Varsity Baseball Invitational game against Williamsville, the game was called after it was determined conditions were dark to continue.

After rolling to an 11-1 win over Tremont earlier in the day, the Spartans' marathon against the Bullets started an hour later than originally schedule.

Crayton Burnett put away six batters and allowed five hits for the no-decision.

Last week on April Fool's Day, St. Joseph-Ogden slugged it out for eight innings, deadlocked with two runs apiece with Mahomet-Seymour when the non-conference game was called due to darkness.

The Spartans will host the Rantoul on Monday at 4:30p in a regular season Illini Prairie Conference contest. After two days of practice they will head on the road to face Bloomington Central Catholic for another IPC matchup. They close out the week at home against Paxton-Buckley-Loda on Friday.


Box Score:
SJO ______ 010 000 10 2-3-3
Williamsville 100 100 00 2-6-1

Spartans crush the Turks in road win

On the warmest day so far this spring, Keegan McCarty helped the St. Joseph-Ogden baseball team earn their eight win of the season at the Clinton Varsity Baseball Invitational. The junior hurler, who gave up six hits, struck out three in the 11-1 victory on Saturday.

Adam Frerichs waits for a pitch in SJO's home game against Westville last week. The Spartans will alternate in home-away-home game schedule this week as they prepare for a deep postseason run later this spring. (Photo: PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks)

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Blake Primmer led the Spartans' offensive effort with 3 RBI and catcher Adam Frerichs pounded away a pair of hits in the first of two games at the Invite.

SJO has two home and one away contest on tap over the next seven days. Opening the week, Primmer & Co. will host the Rantoul Eagles on Monday at 4:30p in a regular season conference game. Then it's a road trip to Bloomington on Thursday for an Illini Prairie Conference battle against the Saints of Central Catholic.

The Spartans close out the week at the SJO sports complex with a visit from Paxton-Buckley-Loda on Friday.


Box Score:
SJO ___    200 102 6 11-6-1
Tremont     000 100 0  1-7-2


From the editor: The conference game canceled on April 4 with St. Thomas More has been rescheduled to Wednesday, April 24. First pitch is slated for 4:30p.