Attempting to win its first regional title since 2023, the Macomb High baseball team instead saw its season ended Saturday afternoon at Eureka.
Facing Illini West in a regional final for the second time in three years, it was the top-seed Chargers who prevailed, defeating No. 4 seed Macomb 7-2 to capture an IHSA Class 2A Regional title at Eureka.
Prior to Saturday’s final, the Bombers edged host No. 6 seed Eureka 3-2 in a Thursday semifinal.
The semifinal contest was a rematch of last year’s regional title game at Macomb that saw Eureka defeat the Bombers 7-2. The Hornets went on to final third in the Class 2A State Finals.
Macomb scored first in the bottom of the third.
Nick Elbe singled to left before Drew Watson reached on a bunt single to the pitcher. Aiden Reynolds followed with a single to left to load the bases before Jake Ogle hit a sacrifice fly to left, bringing home Elbe with the game’s first run.
Eureka pulled even in the top of the fourth.
Landon Wurmnest, Jacob Schulz and Adam Blunier singled to load the bases.
The Bombers then executed a triple play. Brody Wertz hit a ground ball to Ogle at second. He threw to Watson for the force out at second, before Watson threw to Reynolds at first for the second out.
Wurmnest scored, while Schulz also attempted to score on the play. But Reynolds threw to catcher Leighton Lambert, who tagged out Schulz at the plate for the third out, leaving the score tied 1-1.
The Bombers grabbed the lead back in the bottom of the fifth.
Elbe reached on an error by Eureka first baseman Wertz before moving to second on a wild pitch with Watson at the plate.
Watson singled to right, scoring Elbe, giving MHS a 2-1 lead.
Reynolds hit into a fielder’s choice, forcing Watson out at second. One out later, Blaine Eddington singled to center with both runners gaining an extra base on an error by centerfielder Blunier.
Jaxon Barclay reached on an infield single to third that scored Reynolds.
Eureka tallied its final run in the top of the sixth.
Teagan McLaughlin singled with one out and moved to second when Wurmnest grounded out to first. McLaughlin scored when Schulz singled to center.
The Hornets had one final chance in the seventh.
Wertz singled to right to start the inning. At that point Devin Wiles entered the contest as a courtesy runner.
The Bomber defense then turned a double play as pinch-hitter Grady Wesner flew out to Eddington in left, who threw to Reynolds at first, doubling off Wiles.
Bryn Mayo then flew out to Isaac Leinbach in center to end the game.
Both teams finished with 10 hits, but Eureka also committed three errors that led to a pair of unearned runs.
Barclay and Watson both had two hits and one run batted in. Elbe had three hits and scored twice, while Reynolds also had a hit and a run scored.
Ogle knocked in a run, while Kaden Knupp doubled.
Barclay went the distance, allowing two earned runs on 10 hits with one strikeout.
He threw 75 pitches, 55 for strikes. Schulz had two hits with one RBI for Eureka (15-19), while McLaughlin and Wurmnest also had two hits each, with a run scored.
McLaughlin pitched six innings, allowing three runs, one earned, on 10 hits. He struck out nine, walked one and hit a batter Saturday’s contest was a rematch from their Apr. 30 contest at Carthage that saw the Chargers win 8-1 behind the three-hit, nine strikeout pitching performance of Ethan Carlisle.
The Bombers tallied single runs in the first and fifth, but after scoring once in the bottom of the first, the Chargers put together three-run rallies in the second and fourth innings.
In the top of the first, Elbe opened with a single to left before Watson reached on a fielder’s choice. Both runners advanced on a wild pitch before Elbe scored on a sac fly to right by Reynolds.
Illini West pulled even in the bottom of the inning when Wesley Robertson walked, stole second and scored on a base hit by Carlisle.
The Chargers grabbed the lead for good in the second.
Jaxon Steinkamp and Holton Darbyshire hit back-to-back singles with one out. Cordell Vehmeier entered the game as a courtesy runner for Darbyshire and was forced out at second when Eli Bisby hit into a fielder’s choice.
Robertson was intentionally walked to load the bases before Cash Jones singled to right, scoring Steinkamp and Bisby to give Illini West a 3-1 lead.
Carlisle walked to load the bases before Grady Blue also walked, forcing home a run that made it 4-1.
The Chargers doubled their lead two innings later.
Robertson opened the inning with a triple to right before scoring on a base hit to center by Jones.
Carlisle doubled to center, scoring Jones before advancing to third on the throw home in the effort to nab Jones at the plate.
Liam Murphy entered as a courtesy runner for Carlisle and scored when Aiden Hocker singled to right.
Macomb scored its final run of the season in the top of the fifth when Elbe walked and moved to second on a wild pitch before scoring on a Reynolds single to center.
Illini West out-hit Macomb 11-5, also committing two errors, compared to one for the Bombers.
Reynolds had two hits and two runs batted in for Macomb, while Elbe added one hit, scoring twice.
Barclay and Knupp chipped in one hit each.
Eddington was the pitcher of record for the Bombers. In 1.2 innings, he allowed four earned runs on five hits. He struck out one and walked four.
Tyler Schulz pitched 1.1 innings, allowing three earned runs on four hits. He struck out one and walked one.
Elbe pitched three innings, allowing two hits and one walk, striking out four.
Carlisle pitched six innings, allowing two earned runs on five hits. He struck out 12 and walked two. Carlisle threw 115 pitches, 80 for strikes.
Roberts pitched the seventh, needing just four pitches to record three outs.
Jones and Carlisle had two hits each with Jones knocking in three runs and Carlisle two.
Darbyshire also had two hits with Rocbertson scoring three runs for Illini West.
The two teams faced off in a regional final at Carthage 2024 with the Chargers winning 5-0.
Last year in Macomb, the Bombers and Chargers squared off in a semifinal contest with Macomb winning 5-2.
The Bombers finished their season with a final record of 22-12.
The 22 wins are the most for a Macomb High baseball team since 2008 when the squad finished 23-9 under coach Max Kreps.
Class 2A Sectional semifinal play at Chillicothe is scheduled for Wednesday with Rockridge (29-7) facing Brimfield/Elmwood (30-5) at 4 p.m. before Illini West (27-7) plays Monmouth- Roseville (16-15) at 6:30 p.m.
The title contest at Chillicothe is scheduled for June 6 at 1 p.m. with the victor advancing to supersectional play at Peru on June 8.
Monmouth-Roseville, a number six sub-sectional seed, entered Class 2A regional semifinal play Thursday at Princeton edging No. 3 seed Spring Valley Hall (24-11-1) 5-4.
On Saturday, the Titans upset No. 2 seed Rock Island Alleman (21-16) 4-2 to win a regional title.
At Farmington (2) Brimfield/Elmwood (30-5) defeated (5) Peoria Christian (18-15) 7-1 to captured a regional, while at Aledo, (1) Rockridge (29-7) defeated (5) Chillicothe (Illinois Valley Central) (1617) 13-3.
Aiden Reynolds tagging Eli Bisby. Photos by Andrea Ratermann
