SOFTBALL: Falcons go retro for "Rainbow Night" sweep
</element><element id="paragraph-1" type="body"><![CDATA[After clinching the regular season championship in the Southern Illinois Fastpitch League with last week's victories over Pete's Blues, the Pinckneyville Falcons kept their unbeaten streak in SIFL play alive by sweeping a doubleheader with Makanda 11-3 and 18-4.
Lyle Winter was the winning pitcher in the first of the two games, in which the Falcons wore retro shirts and jerseys from past area softball teams such as the Pinckneyville Celtics, Last Call Tavern, Southside Sox and early 2000's Falcons as part of "Rainbow Night."
Bryant Hale (3-3, GS), Eric Saunders (2-2, HR) and Haven Hicks (1-3, HR) all homered in the game for the Pinckneyville. Ricky Kasban (2-2) and Hayden Hicks (3-3) also were perfect at the dish, and Mason Woodside, Derek Beninati and Brandon Hardin also hit safely.
In the nightcap, Kasban picked up the pitching victory for the Falcons as the offense exploded. Jay McCrary led the way with a 4-for-4 effort.
Adam Barczewski (3-4), Woodside (2-3, HR), Hardin, and Hayden Hicks each had two or more hits; Haven Hicks, Hale, Winter and Saunders each had one.
The Falcons are 28-13 overall and 14-0 in the SIFL as they head to Nokomis this weekend for tournament action. Pinckneyville starts by taking on Altamont Home Center this Saturday at 10:00 a.m., followed by a 4:30 contest with the Villa Grove Knights. They will return Sunday to meet Black/Gold at 10:00 a.m., then a four-team playoff will follow in the afternoon and evening.
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