BASEBALL: Pinckneyville extends streak to eight
</element><element id="paragraph-1" type="body"><![CDATA[Bryant Shute threw a complete game and added a solo home run in Pinckneyville's 8-3 baseball triumph at Sparta on Thursday, the Panthers eighth win in as many games.
Pinckneyville hasn't lost since April 5, and now sit at 5-1 in the Southern Illinois River-to-River Conference Mississippi Division.
"Bryant did a nice job of throwing the ball for us today, which set the tone for the entire game," said PCHS head baseball coach Alan Engelhardt. "Our hitters were able to settle in and take some good cuts, and we did a good job of taking extra bases any time we had a chance."
The Panthers broke a scoreless tie in the top of the third when Justin Bumann raced home on an error by the Sparta right fielder. Bumann walked to lead off the inning.
Matthew Nichols added to the Pinckneyville lead with a two-run homer in the fourth, scoring Shute, who had reached on an error. A fielding miscue for the Panthers allowed the Bulldogs to trim the lead to 3-2 in the bottom half of the inning, but the offense would respond in the fifth.
Hunter Queen walked then scored on a double by Adam Barczewski to make it 4-2, then Brandon Long also drew a bases on balls before Shute doubled to plate Barczewski. After Nichols struck out, Joey Burris doubled for a pair of RBI's and the Panthers led 7-2.
"We are starting to do a good job of playing hard consistently throughout the entire game and making smarter baseball plays," Engelhardt said.
Sparta tallied the only earned run off of Shute in the sixth, but the junior got it back in the seventh with a solo bomb to account for the final score.
The Panthers had eight hits in the game with a trio of players recording two hits apiece: Shute (2-4, 2B, HR, 3 R, 2 RBI), Nichols (2-4, HR, R, 2 RBI), and Marian Brammeier (2-4). Barczewski (1-4, 2B, R, RBI) and Burris (1-4, 2 RBI) had the other hits.
"It was good to get contributions up and down the lineup again," said Engelhardt. "As long as the bottom of our order is getting on base, we become a very effective offensive group."
Shute (3-1) allowed just five hits and a single earned run in his seven innings of work on the hill for PCHS, walking three and striking out four.
The Panthers hit the road on Friday for the two-day Pleasant Plains Invitational, where they will first take on Normal U-High at 1:00 p.m.
"We still continue to control our own destiny in conference as long as we keep winning," said Engelhardt. "We just need to keep getting better every time out to keep preparing ourselves for the post-season."