The Macomb High baseball team completed a hat trick against Illini West Wednesday evening at Phil Bradley Field.
Meeting for the third time this season, the Bombers won their most important meeting of the season against the Chargers, a 5-2 Class 2A Regional semifinal.
Prior to Wednesday’s meeting, the Bombers defeated West Hancock Monday for the second time, winning 14-4 in five innings.
In Monday’s opening- round contest against West Hancock, an early blitzkrieg by the Bombers put the home team firmly in command.
Macomb sent 16 batters to the plate in the bottom of the first inning, scoring 10 runs.
MHS had six hits in the frame, all singles, but also took advantage of four walks, two hit batters, three passed balls and three wild pitches.
Isaac Leinbach and Nick Elbe had two-run singles during the inning. Jake Ogle added a run-scoring base hit, while Jaxon Barclay was credited with an RBI after getting hit by a pitch with the bases loaded.
Both teams scored twice in the second inning.
West Hancock used three singles, a fielder’s choice and an error for its two runs in the top of the frame.
Leighton Lambert started the second inn rally with a one-out single. Courtesy runner Hayden Katz moved to second on a wild pitch before Leinbach walked.
Both runners scored when Watson doubled to left, pushing the lead back to 10 runs at 12-2.
Macomb scored its final two runs in the bottom of the third.
Langdon Lambert walked and stole second. Kaden Knupp was hit by a pitch before Ogle advanced both runners with a sacrifice bunt to the pitcher.
Barclay was hit by a pitch to load the bases before Leighton Lambert singled to left, scoring Langdon Lambert and Knupp.
The Titans tallied single runs in each of the final two innings as the Bombers closed out the contest.
MHS finished with nine hits with West Hancock pitching also walking six batters and hitting four more.
Leinbach, Watson, Elbe and Leighton Lambert recorded two RBIs apiece with Knupp and Barclay adding one each.
Leinbach, Watson, Langdon Lambert and Knupp each scored twice.
Barclay pitched three innings, allowing two runs, one earned, on three hits, striking out three.
Jack Beal pitched two innings, allowing two runs on three hits. He struck out two and walked three.
Brayden Carter had two hits, two runs scored and one batted in for West Hancock.
Ithan Schmidt had a hit with two runs batted in, while Juris Pohlen had a hit and a run scored for the Titans.
West Hanock used four pitchers, three in the opening inning.
Carter recorded one out, allowing seven runs on three hits. He struck out one, walked two and hit two batters.
Pohren allowed three runs on three hits, walking two before Grayson Conkright recorded the final two outs in the first, notching two strikeouts.
Layton Conkright pitched the final three innings, allowing four runs on three hits. He struck out three, walked two and hit two batters.
Monday’s other opening-round game saw host Canton defeat LVC 6-3.
West Hancock saw its season end with a final record of 7-18, while LVC finished 16-15.
Against Illini West, the Bombers took a 1-0 lead in the top of the first as Leinbach singled, moved to second on a sac bunt by Watson and scored on a base hit to left by Emmett Beck.
Macomb made it 2-0 in the top of the third, scoring after two were out.
Elbe doubled to right and scored on a Langdon Lambert single to center.
Macomb made it 4-0 in the fourth. Ogle singled and moved to second on a sac bunt by Barclay. Leighton Lambert singled, advancing Ogle to third.
Tyler Shultz, serving as a courtesy runner for Leighton Lambert who was catching, stole second. He and Ogle scored when Watson singled to left, giving the Bombers their four-run lead.
Macomb scored its final run in the fifth when Elbe tripled and scored on a base hit to left by Langdon Lambert.
Illini West got on the board in the bottom of the fifth as a pair of errors, a wild pitch and a groundout led to a run.
Two singles and a walk led to the second Chargers run in the bottom of the sixth.
The Bombers out-hit the Chargers 12-3. Elbe had three hits and scored twice, while Langdon and Leighton Lambert each had two hits.
Langdon Lambert was the winning pitcher for MHS. He allowed one earned run on three hits. Lambert struck out seven, walked one and hit a batter.
Stephen Sparks and Tre Niederman each knocked in a run for Illini West, who finished the season with a final record of 25-11.
Nick Bruns pitched four innings, allowing five runs on nine hits. He struck out five and walked one.
Wesley Robertson pitched three innings, allowing three hits, while striking out three.
Macomb (19-14) will play Eureka (30-4) for the regional title Saturday at 11 a.m.
Eureka downed Canton (11-19) 11-1 in five innings in Wednesday’s first semifinal.
Macomb High School senior pitcher Langdon Lambert delivers to an Illini West batter Wednesday en route to hurling a complete-game 5-2 gem at Phil Bradley Field to send the Bombers to the regional championship game. Photos by Nathan Woodside
