Starrick’s Clutch Double Sends Mahomet-Seymour to Sweet 16 After Edging Chatham Glenwood
By FRED KRONER
fred@mahometnews.com
Cade Starrick’s two-run double in the top of the sixth inning on Wednesday (May 29) snapped an 8-8 tie and propelled the Mahomet-Seymour baseball team to a 10-9 triumph over Chatham Glenwood in a semifinal game of the Rochester Class 3A Sectional.
After avenging season-ending postseason losses to Glenwood each of the past three seasons, M-S advanced into the IHSA’s Sweet 16.
Starrick’s hit, his second of the game, came on a two-strike pitch. The Bulldogs’ rally started after the team’s first two batters in the sixth were retired.
Matthew Orr reached base on an error before Noah Butler poked a single for his second hit, setting the stage for the No. 9 batter in the M-S lineup.
After his offensive heroics, Starrick also made certain that the lead was preserved.
He pitched the final two innings and earned a save. After yielding one run in the bottom of the seventh, Starrick ended the game by striking out the Glenwood leadoff batter.
Starter Finn Randolph worked the first 2 innings for the Bulldogs. He walked one and struck out one and left the mound with M-S trailing, 3-0.
Alec Bergman was summoned and pitched for 2 1/3 innings. He walked one batter and fanned four and departed with the score standing at 8-8.
Max Young threw for 2/3 of an inning and recorded his second postseason win. He didn’t allow a hit or a walk.
Starrick came in from center field to close out the Bulldogs’ victory.
M-S (27-8) will seek its third sectional crown in baseball on Saturday at Rochester at 11 a.m. against Champaign Central (25-13). The teams did not play one another during the regular season.
Mason Orton (6-0) will be the likely M-S starter against the Maroons.
The Bulldogs’ previous sectional titles were in 1988 (under coach Mike Scholz) and 2000 (under coach John Weimer).
Glenwood closed the season with a 30-6 overall record, including a 3-0 verdict over M-S nine days earlier. In 2021, 2022 and 2023, Glenwood bounced the Bulldogs out of the tournament with a sectional setback.
The Bulldogs totaled nine hits on Wednesday. In addition to the two apiece by Butler and Starrick, Raymond Long produced two hits. Contributing one hit each were Gavin Bailey, Orr and Randolph.
Bailey, Randolph and Starrick all knocked in two runs. Finishing with one RBI each were Long, Orr and Tyson Finch.
Starrick tallied three runs. Butler and Randolph each crossed home plate twice. Orr, Long and Camden Heinold all scored once.
Wednesday’s game was the 15th for coach Nic DiFilippo’s squad this year for reaching double figures in runs scored.
The winner of the Saturday sectional finals will play in the Decatur Super-Sectional at Millikin University at 6 p.m. on Monday (June 3) against either Highland or Mascoutah. That winner will qualify for the state semifinals.
