Boys Prep Baseball: Solid start for young Tribe
</element><element id="paragraph-1" type="body"><![CDATA[Trent Bigham worked five no-hit innings and J.C. Davis knocked in six runs Wednesday, helping Du Quoin's baseball team run past Waltonville/Sesser-Valier at the Ballpark at DHS.
The game was a late addition to the Tribe's schedule. The final score was 10-1.
Du Quoin's slated to visit Farina South Central for a pair Saturday and then plays Mundelein Sunday (2:00) at Rent One Park in Marion.
At Farina, the Indians play Dietrich (12:15 p.m.) and South Central (2:00).
Sam Gossett and Sam Kuhnert finished the contest. Combined, the trio struck out 13, walked three and allowed just a bloop single from W/S-V's Shane Rock in the seventh.
Bigham (2-0) has yet to allow a hit while striking out 26 in 12 innings of early season work.
"We got another great start from Trent Bigham today. He was constantly ahead of hitters and only had two balls hit off of him," said Indians coach Tim Craft. "Trent also had a good day
at the plate driving in our first 2 runs. J.C.'s grand slam really got our offense going. After we increased our lead, we started relaxing a little bit at the plate and started putting the ball in play."
In the first, Bigham's two-run double pushed the Tribe to a quick lead.
Davis belted a towering, two-out grand slam on to the school building during the Indians fourth and later singled home two more runs in the sixth.
Tyler Shelton also poked a two-run single.
Bigham, Brandon George and Davis alll had two-hit days. Drew Bennett
Indians 9, Sciota West Prairie 1
Last Friday, Bigham made things tough on the Cyclones from west central Illinois.
The junior struck out 14 and didn't allow a basehit. He walked only three. West Prairie's lone run came after Bigham's third inning balk.
"Trent was really dominant," Craft understated. "Besides the seven strikeouts, the other seven outs came on groundballs."
With the game tied 1-1 in the fourth, JC Davis smacked a bases loaded triple to give Du Quoin plenty of cushion.
Robbins added a two-run double in the fifth.
Davis ended 2-for-3 with Shelton, Stanhouse (RBI) and Kelley all hitting safely. Bennett added a double
Herrin 8-4, Indians 6-5
Five unearned runs in the top of the seventh lifted Herrin to victory in the first game of Saturday's twinbill
George's sixth inning RBI hit had put the Tribe in front before disaster struck against Davis (0-1). Working the first five innings, George allowed only two hits and whiffed six. He surrendered three runs before leaving with the score knotted at three apiece.
George was 2-for-3 to lead the offense. Shelton added an RBI triple with Bennett and Seth Baxter (RBI) adding hits. Bennett's safety knocked in two runs.
Brilliant relief work by Robbins-who worked the final 6 2/3 innings of game two-helped Du Quoin salvage a split.
Striking out nine, Robbins scattered six hits and didn't allow an earned run after starter Kelley was lifted.
George's sharp RBI infield single won the game, sending Davis home with the decisive tally in the last of the ninth.
Junior Jake Stanhouse forced the second extra frame with a towering blast an inning prior, tying the score at 5-5.
Stanhouse's line drive easily cleared the rightfield wall, smacking off the temporary classroom building across Indian Trail Drive.
"Jake's home run was huge and Keegan gave us a big lift in that second game," said Craft. "Our kids just battled all day. We didn't play badly. It just seemed like we made a few mistakes each game when the game was on the line."
Stanhouse had two hits. Shelton and Cory Campanella also recorded markers.