By Sean Duncan

SAUGET, IL ? With the temperature in the low-40s and sinking, it wasn?t exactly baseball weather for the start of the Illinois-Missouri Border War on Thursday. As you could imagine, the frigid temperature affected the players.

Twenty walks and five hit batsmen later, Belleville East defeated Chaminade 9-3, giving Illinois a 1-0 advantage in the seven-game tournament at GCS Ballpark.

Belleville East (3-1) was the beneficiary of 15 walks and at three hit batsmen, which enabled the Lancers to erase a 1-0 first-inning deficit. Belleville East scored two runs in each the second, third and fourth innings thanks to nine walks and three hit batsmen; the Lancers only needed four hits in that span to mount a 6-1 advantage.

Meanwhile, Belleville East right-hander Alex Siddle settled down to shut down Chaminade (0-1) in its season-opener. Siddle, a 6-foot-5, 210-pound junior, emerged as a prospect to watch after his performance. In four innings, Siddle struck out seven, allowed two hits and walked four to earn the win. Using an 80-82 mph fastball, he retired six straight in the third and fourth innings. The left-handed hitting Siddle also helped himself at the plate, going 3-for-4 with two doubles and a walk.

Jon Schad walked four times and scored two runs, and sophomore catcher Lucas Weisbrodt went 1-for-2 with two RBI and two walks for Belleville East. Senior Vinnie Birk went 1-for-2, reached base four times, drove in a run and played a stellar defensive shortstop. Despite the lopsided victory, it could?ve been greater: Belleville East stranded the bases loaded in four consecutive innings between the second and fifth.

Austin Allen, a junior 6-foot-3 left-handed hitting catcher, stood out for Chaminade, as he delivered a run-scoring double and looked solid behind the plate. Senior centerfielder Clayton Dyer scored two runs and had a RBI wallk.