MARION, IL– The Hoots are in the playoffs! O’Fallon clinched their spot in the playoffs with a doubleheader sweep of the Thrillville Thrillbillies. They showed offensive consistency, winning game one 8-5 and game two 8-4.
Top Performers:
Nick Steurer- 2-4, 2 Rs, 2 SBs, 4 RBIs (game one)
Sam Paule- 2-2, 1 BB, 3 RBIs (game two)
Cameron Mosier- 2.0 IP, 2 Hs, 3 Ks (game two)
How It Happened:
The Hoots needed two wins to get into the playoffs, and with some clutch hitting and pitching during a doubleheader on Thursday, they got their wish. Now the Hoots are in the playoffs for the second year in a row.
Game One was a makeup of the rainout on June 21st. William Zareh got the scoring started with an RBI double in the first. The Hoots would score three more times in the second, punctuated by a two-RBI single by Nick Steurer to give the Hoots a 4-0 lead.
The Thrillbillies proved pesky in game one, however. After both teams traded one run each in the bottom of the second and top of the third, the Thrillbillies drew closer with a two-RBI single by Hayden Ralls in the bottom of the fourth, making the score 5-3. The Hoots got two more in the top of the fifth on RBIs by Sam Paule and Nick Steurer, but the Thrillbillies responded with two of their own in the bottom of the inning.
The Hoots bullpen was nails the rest of the way though. Adam Kilburn, Mason Lee, and Evan Abercrombie combined to allow no runs in the two and two thirds innings. They locked down what would eventually be an 8-5 win in game one.
With a chance to clinch in game two, the Hoots offense roared to life in the third. The first six men reached base, leading to the big inning. After RBI singles by Sam Paule and Nick Steurer, John Connors drove both of them in on an RBI double. Connors and Nick Bonczkowski would score on an errant throw from the catcher, who was trying to catch Bonczkowski stealing after he reached via walk. The Hoots put up a total of six runs in the inning.
The teams then traded two-run half innings with each other. Thrillville scored two in the bottom of the fourth on a two-run home run. The Hoots immediately made up for those runs with a two-RBI single by Sam Paule to give them an 8-2 lead in the top of the fifth. But the Thrillbillies again scored in the bottom of the inning, knocking and RBI single and and RBI double to make the score 8-4.
It ended up being enough, as Cameron Mosier was able to shut down the Thrillbillies for the last two innings. Thrillville made it interesting, loading the bases in the bottom of the seventh. But Mosier struck out the tying run to end the game and give the Hoots the 8-4 win, and officially clinch their spot in the Prospect League playoffs.
The Hoots still have two games left in the regular season: away against the Alton River Dragons on Friday, before finishing up the season at home against the Normal Cornbelters on Saturday.
The Hoots will face Cape Catfish in a playoff game in Cape Girardeau on Sunday.
