Photo by Keith Stewart
Brody Elder makes his way to second after doubling deep to center field in the third inning. Elder would later get batted in by Jacob Piper, giving Sullivan its first of two runs in their 2-1 win over Central A&M Tuesday.

Final inning nearly provides comeback for Raiders

by Kirk Whitaker
Arthur/Sullivan Reporter

Pitching has been pretty good recently for the Redskins baseball team.
Saturday Nick Frerichs two-hit Danville Schlarman en route to a 14-0 win, and Tuesday Shane Atchison returned the favor with a complete game two-hit gem of his own against Central A&M, striking out nine and walking three along with the two hits.
“Shane has been solid all season,” Redskins head coach Troy Rogers said. “He knows how to pitch, he’s a bulldog on the mound—he’s out there with no sleeves because he’s crazy—he worked ahead in the count with a relatively small and low strike zone. In the last inning specifically he kept his composure and finished exceptionally well.” Read More

Photo by Keith Stewart
Zak Hrvol listens as head coach Troy Rogers speaks just before putting the sophomore in at the mound during the third inning Tuesday. Hrvol went on to throw a mixed bag of pitches that helped cool off T-Town. Errors earlier in the game proved too many, however, as Sullivan fell 10-2.

Nine unearned runs cost Sullivan potential upset

by Kirk Whitaker
Arthur/Sullivan Reporter

Take away the second and third innings in the field against Teutopolis Tuesday and in the end, there would have been a 2-1 upset win for the Redskins against a perennial state power instead of a 10-2 loss; if only that would have happened.

A home run over the left centerfield wall was the only run in the first, and turned out to be the only earned run allowed by Sullivan in the game.

That was when the Redskin defensive woes that plagued them in losses to Cerro Gordo-Bement, Pana, and Mattoon returned. Read More

Submitted
Pictured is the Arthur-Lovington seventh grade volleyball team that finished third in the state tournament Tuesday evening in Heyworth.

Defeat Seneca 25-20, 26-24

by Kirk Whitaker
Reporting in Heyworth

The Arthur-Lovington seventh grade volleyball team signed off as the third best team in class 1A Tuesday with a victory over Seneca. But they had to first win two prior state  matches to get there.

Behind solid hitting from Taylor Powell and Marissa Herschberger, Arthur-Lovington’s seventh grade volleyball team first took down Blue Ridge 25-16 in the first set of Saturday’s Class 1A State Tournament in Heyworth. With a 22-16 advantage in the second, AL forced a Blue Ridge timeout, and it looked as if there would be déjà vu and an easy state win for the Pages, who brought a 21-1 record to the tourney.  Read More

Photo by RR Best
Colton Yeakley tries to keep control of the ball Friday against Arcola.

Get St. Thomas More Tues. in Danville sectional

by Kirk Whitaker
Arthur/Sullivan Reporter

The final scoreboard read 44-26 in favor of the Knights Friday, as they downed Arcola for their third straight regional crown, but early on, the game was much closer than the final score showed.

It took till 4:09 to go in the second for the Knights to hit their first triple of the night, courtesy of Clayton Honn, but the bomb gave Arthur an 11-10 advantage.

Yes, only 11-10 midway through two quarters, no typo.

The first score of the game came from a single free throw from Riders sophomore Austin Shaffer with just over five to go in the first, and the score was tied at six after a quarter. Read More

Photo by RR Best
Emily Neuhauser pulls up for a 3-pointer Thursday night. Not only did the junior send Sullivan into one overtime period, but then hit a 3-pointer at the last second to send the game into double OT, where the Lady Red completed the comeback winning 84-77.

Jr. hits 32 points, including crucial 3-pointer against ALAH

by Kirk Whitaker
Arthur/Sullivan Reporter

It was the situation every little kid practices.

Down three, five seconds to go, with the ball, coming down the court in a big game. In this case it was the regional championship, and it was Emily Neuhauser who rose up and drained a triple as time expired in the first overtime, tying the game at 75 and continuing the Lady Redskins’ hopes of back-to-back titles.

It was arguably the best night in Neuhauser’s basketball career, scoring a team high 32 points—including her 1,000th career point after her first eight in the first quarter—and putting her team on her back, even while carrying four fouls in the second extra session. On the flip side, Sherelle Coller finished the game eight points shy of 1,000 for her career.

“I didn’t remember how much time there was,” Neuhauser said. “I was like ‘this is crucial, we need it’ and I stopped and popped, and I was hoping and praying it went in and it did. I’m just speechless about it now.”

“I told the girls to put that one on me I struggled on the bench down the stretch,” Lancers head coach Craig Moffett said in regard to not fouling before Neuhauser’s shot. “I have to get better.”

As expected, and felt by everyone in the arena, Neuhauser’s bomb swept the momentum back in Sullivan’s favor and with the game tied at 77, Neuhauser scored down low again over Lancer Brooke Tabb and converted two at the line on her next trip, and between then and the last 1.4 seconds of the game, the Lady Redskins defense picked up and held the Lancers scoreless clinching the 84-77 victory. Read More