PCHS BASEBALL: Panthers Extend Winning Streak to Six

</element><element id="paragraph-1" type="body"><![CDATA[ As the regular season moves quickly towards its conclusion, Pinckneyville Community High School's Baseball team continues to round into top form.

Monday afternoon is another perfect example.

The Panthers banged out 11 hits-four going for home runs-in a 15-2 five-inning rout of Sparta at Ridgon Field.

Now 10-9 overall and riding a six-game winning streak, PCHS hosts Nashville Tuesday. Pinckneyville's Mississippi Division mark in River-to-River Conference play hikes to 2-5.

"It is nice to see us starting to take better approaches at the plate, and and our kids are rewarding themselves for having good at-bats, " Panthers coach Alan Engelhardt said.

"Bryant Shute had the big hit today, taking us from a one run to a four run lead in a hurry. From that point I thought we really settled in."

Shute-only a freshman-blasted a three-run homer in the fourth inning as PCHS broke away from a 2-2 tie. Drew Dudek's solo blast-the first of two long balls by the junior-increased the Panther lead.

Pinckneyville had went ahead in the first inning when Michael Rakers belted a two-run homer.

Another Dudek homer highlighted an eight-run PCHS fifth. This shot was a three-run blast.

"Drew Dudek also had a nice day at the plate, putting a couple of really nice swings on the ball," Engelhardt said.

"And Bryant Shute was very good on the mound for us. He is really learning to get people out, rather than always trying to strike people out."

Shute (2-0) scattered six hits and struck out two, notching his first complete game.

Dudek finished with five RBI and Rakers knocked in three more. Shute (three RBI) and Garrick Hale also had two-hit games.

RAIN DATES

After an off day Wednesday, the Panthers will visit Waltonville/Sesser-Valier Thursday.

Saturday, PCHS hosts one of the area's best Class 1A programs, Shawnee, for an 11 a.m. doubleheader.

PCHS 15, Sparta 2

Sparta 000 20-2 6 1

PCHS 200 58-15 11 0

Nehrt, Shelton (3) and Peck. Shute and Barczewski. WP-Shute, 2-0. LP-Nehrt. Sparta: Blind 2-2 (2 RBI). PCHS: Dudek 2-5 (HR, 5 RBI), Shopinski 1-3, Rakers 2-2 (2B, HR, 3 RBI), Hale 2-2 (2B, RBI), McConnell 1-2, Nichols 1-2 (2 RBI), Shute 2-2 (HR, 3 RBI).