How sweet it is! Cyclones win Class 2A state baseball title in heart-stopping thriller

Sacred Heart-Griffin's Tommy Lauterbach is rushed by teammates after securing their baseball title — **CHAMPAIGN** - The Sacred Heart-Griffin baseball team mug teammate Tommy Lauterbach after he drilled the game-winning RBI deep into left field during their Class 2A championship baseball game against Teutopolis. The Cyclones defeated the Wooden Shoes 5-4 to take home state title for the first time four decades thanks to Lauterbach walk-off heroics in the bottom of the seventh inning. It was SHG's third state baseball title since 1987.

Photos: Sentinel/Clark Brooks

Left: Sacred Heart-Griffin's Andy Antonacci celebrates his home run at the plate with Mike Groesch and Drew Ward in the first inning. Middle: Tommy Lauterbach poses for a photo with the Cyclone's state trophy. Lauterbach hit the game-winning RBI to break a tie in the seventh inning. Right: Ty Springer celebrates with teammates after piling on Lauterbach. Want to see more Sentinel photos from this game? Let us know by email at sports@oursentinel.com.

Tagged: SHG State Baseball Champions, High School Sports, Baseball, State Baseball, SHG Baseball

State Basketball |
West-Central finishes 2nd at State

CHAMPAIGN - Meridian's Antonio Flenoid hides his anguish before the final buzzer in his team's Class 1A championship basketball game at State Farm Center. The Bobcats (26-9) fell 62-43 to the West-Central Cougars to earn the program's third runner-up trophy. Flenoid, a freshman finished the game with 13 points, 4 rebounds, and 4 steals.

Sentinel/Clark Brooks

State Basketball |
PND defeats Nashville in 2A title game; Wardle duo Lead in thrilling victory

Peoria Notre Dame's Emy Wardle diees to the basket in the second half of the Class 2A title game at this year's girls' state basketball tournament. Wardle finished with a game-high 18 points to lift the Irish past the Hornettes, 48-46. The win was the first state basketball title for the PND girls program in school history.

Photo: PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks

NORMAL - The 2A state championship game was a sister act, a family affair on both ends of the court in the IHSA season finale as Peoria Notre Dame edged past Nashville in a heart-stopping 48-46 thriller.

Leading the charge was PND's Emy Wardle, whose gritty performance propelled the Irish to victory. With an impressive tally of 18 points, Wardle showcased her scoring prowess, sinking crucial shots throughout the game. Her accuracy from the free-throw line, going 6-9, proved pivotal.

But it wasn't just Emy who left her mark on the court. Her sister, Mya Wardle, contributed 10 points to the scoreboard, adding to the family's dominance on the hardwood. Together, the Wardle sisters formed a formidable duo that proved too much for Nashville to handle.

Supporting the Wardle sisters were Kaitlin Cassidy and Julia Mingus, who delivered solid performances of their own. Cassidy's nine points, coupled with her four rebounds, provided crucial support, while Mingus chipped in with eight points, adding to PND's offensive firepower.

On the opposing side, Nashville fought tooth and nail, led by the scoring efforts of Emma Behrmann and Samantha Brinkman. Behrmann's 14 points and five rebounds kept her team in the game, while Brinkman's 12 points and six assists showcased her versatility on the court. Summer Brinkmann, Samantha's twin sister, also contributed nine points and led the team in rebounds with six.

Throughout the game, momentum swung back and forth, with the score tied five times and four lead changes keeping fans on the edge of their seats. Despite PND outscoring Nashville 17-14 in the first half, the outcome remained uncertain until the remaining six seconds in the contest.

It was Emy's layup with six seconds left in the final quarter that sealed the win for the Irish's first piece of IHSA girls' basketball state champion hardware in school history.

Photo Gallery

Peoria Notre Dame vs Nashville

Class 2A Championship Game

Photo Gallery |
State Champs! Lincoln wins state basketball title

NORMAL - Lincoln's Kloe Froebe drives to the paint around Glenwood's Alexis Neumann during the Class 3A championship game at the IHSA Girls' Basketball State Finals on Saturday. Froebe led the Railsplitters (38-0) to the program's first state basketball title with 36 points in a decisive 60-44 victory. Neumann led the Titans' scoring effort with 15 points. See more exciting and memorable moments in the photo gallery below.

Photo: PhotoNews Media/Clark Brooks