Oakdale Beats Urbana in Offensive Affair

Oakdale hosted Urbana on Wednesday afternoon in a game that provided constant offensive opportunities for both teams. The visiting Hawks opened the scoring early, jumping out to a 1-0 lead on a leadoff single by Elias Hageman and sac-fly from Graham King. In the bottom half of the inning, the Bears had a run taken away from them when the umpire ruled that the runner tagging from third, left early. The call ended up being a big one as one batter later, Reece Antognoni blasted a solo shot over the center field fence to even the game at one a piece.

After a scoreless top half of the second, Oakdale took their first lead of the game, plating two runs on a costly error. Urbana would answer though in the third with RBI singles from Kameron Walters and Garrett Kile to knot the game back up three.

In the bottom of the fourth, Oakdale broke the tie and took a 6-3 lead. With the bases loaded and one out; Logan DeBord, Robert Wachter, and Antognoni each hit consecutive RBI singles. Urbana was able to limit the damage by getting an inning-ending double play.

The Hawks struck back again in the top of the fifth inning loading the bases for Armani Bullock with two walks and a single. Bullock then knocked in two on a ground-rule double to put his team within a run at 6-5; but in the end, the Oakdale bats were just too much.

The Bears added insurance runs in the fifth and sixth to take a three run leading heading into the seventh. Urbana would rally for one in the seventh as Bullock drove home Ferris McIlmail on a base hit it center but that would be it as the Hawks fell by a final score of 8-6.

Oakdale starting pitcher Jackson Meade picked up the win despite allowing five runs on nine hits and three walks in his five innings of work. Ethan Reifer relieved Meade for the final two innings and pitched well allowing just one run on three hits and a walk to earn the save. For Urbana, Kameron Walters went four innings allowing six runs (three earned) on nine hits, one walk, and struck out three.

The Bears offense was paced by DeBoard (3-for-4, RBI), Wachter (2-for-4, 2 RBI’s), Antognoni, (2-for-4, HR, 2 RBI’s, R), L. Carey (2-for-3, 2 RBI’s, 2 R’s), Graham Albers (1-for-3, 2B, RBI) and Luke Lamont (1-for-1, RBI, 2 R’s).

 Urbana was led at the plate by Hageman (2-for-4, 2 R’s), Walters (2-for-4, 2B, RBI), Bullock (2-for-4, 2B, 3 RBI), and Brendan Yagesh (2-for-3, R).