By FRED KRONER
fred@mahometnews.com
Mahomet-Seymour’s soccer team reached new heights on Tuesday, opening Class 2A regional tournament play with a 6-0 win over Danville.
The victory enabled coach Joey Gruner’s club to reach the 20-win mark, a feat never achieved before by a Bulldogs’ girls’ soccer team.
The previous record for single-season wins (19) was set by the 2017 team.
M-S (20-2) will play Normal University High in Saturday’s 11 a.m. regional championship match at Centennial High School.
In the semifinals, M-S scored five first-half goals.
Area scoring leader Meredith Johnson-Monfort scored three goals, raising her season total to 42.
Her first tally was unassisted and came five minutes into the match. Her and Haley Lester each scored two first-half goals.
Cassidy Collins notched the other goal.
Goalkeeper Sarah Hohenstein posted her 15th shutout.
During the Bulldogs’ current 14-match winning streak, the defensive unit has allowed just six goals.
Collecting assists in the shutout over the Vikings (7-12-1) were Johnson-Monfort, Lester, Erin Lenschow, Maddy Wade and Michaela Schoolcraft. Lester has a team-high 16 assists.
Saturday’s opponent is one that M-S did not play during the regular season.
Baseball
Kyle Mumm pitched a complete-game four-hitter, striking out seven and walking two on Monday as the Bulldogs (16-7) handled Bloomington 9-2.
Mumm did not allow an earned run.
M-S’ 11-hit attack was led by Brooks Coetzee (3-for-4). Jordan Veldman and Dylan Gates were each 2-for-3.
Veldman drove in three runs and Lukas Graham had two RBI.
The victory extended the school’s winning streak to seven in a row.
M-S took the lead in the opening inning on Kyle Kinney’s run-scoring single.
Coetzee’s double was the team’s only extra-base hit.
Softball
M-S (13-14) unleashed its power in back-to-back non-conference wins.
The Bulldogs hammered two home runs on Monday in a 5-2 win over Danville and swatted two more homers in Wednesday’s 15-5 triumph vs. Champaign Central.
Madi Scott and Julia McNaught homered against Danville to support the three-hit pitching of Aubrie Shore.
Scott and Ashley Wheeler each had two hits for the Bulldogs, who collected nine hits and drew six walks, but did not strikeout.
Against Central, the home runs came from Shore (who also tripled) and Emma Clements. Both players are freshmen.
Shore was 3-for-3 and knocked in five runs.
Four teammates totaled two hits apiece: Scott, Clements, Layne Acree and Allison Nofziger.
Wheeler pitched a complete game, allowing five hits in five innings. She walked three and struck out five.
The Bulldogs took control with three runs in the top of the first inning against Central.
For the season, M-S has a school-record 22 home runs as a team. Individually, Shore’s school-record season total stands at 12.
