Hilltopper post-season 

Follow IHSA Baseball Playoffs in both 
A and AA divisons...Click on the following link:

http://www.ihsa.org/scores/4y19ba1.htm

Baseball & Softball

Hilltopper  Baseball
Click on:  Hilltopper Baseball 2004 (Regular Season Information)

The Victory March of the 2004 Mount Pulaski Hilltopper Baseball Team ended in today's Super-Sectional against
Eureka, 6 - 4.  Both teams were highly ranked, as both came into post-season play with superb records, built upon
outstanding offense and defense as well as outstanding pitching.  While many of the town's peoples were left back at
the annual Memorial Day Services at the town's two highly decorated cemeteries, many others traveled to root on one 
of the best baseball teams that the town of Mount Pulaski and its surrounding community has produced in its long storied
tradition of excellence in its classrooms, in its music programs and on its athletic courts and fields. 

 The Hilltoppers got behind early, surrendering 2 runs in the 1st inning.  But Tim Milner's 2-run double in the 2nd got the
toppers back even, 2-2.  However, Eureka picked up 4 more runs in the middle innings, while shutting out Pulaski.  Going
into the 7th inning, Eureka ahead 6-2, the Hilltoppers mounted a rally and almost came all the way back.  Milner smacked 
another double, John Foley walked and Tom Maske hit a double, scoring Milner.  Foley slipped rounding 3rd and had to 
retreat.  But, the catcher's throw to 3rd was off-line and Foley scored to make the score, 6-4.  With Maske on 3rd, Eureka's
coach brought in Ryan Eigsti to strike out Josh Blaum to end the Hilltopper threat and the game.  Eigsti has been a very
strong reliever for Eureka all season.  The senior right-hander has signed to pitch for Bradley University next year.

Coach Clark entered the game with his pitching rotation in tack.  The Clements, Blaum and Foley crew had produced more
wins than any Pulaski team in memory, as well as taking the Hilltoppers further into post-season play than ever before.  Foley 
was scheduled to pitch in the state semi-final game on Friday, but things simply did not continue to work out for Coach Clark's
resilient "never-say-die" team.  As the saying goes, "all good things come to an end".  Unfortunately, these good things happening
for the Mt. Pulaski baseball team ended a little too soon.   Their opponents, the Eureka Hornets (25-4), are advancing further than
 their school has ever ventured, too.  They go up against defending state champion Wilmington (31-3) at 4 pm on Friday at 
Lanphier Park.  Last year, the Hilltoppers lost in the sectional finals to Rochester.  So, Mt. Pulaski took a step further this year,
bowing out in the state super-sectionals, finishing an excellent season with a record of 26-6-1.  The Hilltoppers are returning two
of their starting pitchers, as well as several other starting players.  The players already know their goal...to take "a step further" 
next year by repeating as regional and sectional champions and then to continue on to capture the super-sectional trophy and
advance to the state tournament quarterfinals.  

  June 1st article on Eureka vs. Mt. Pulaski Super-sectional game

Mount Pulaski defeated Normal University High School, 2-0, to win the Sectional in baseball for 1st time
 in the history of the school.  The Hilltoppers lost to University High in basketball Regional finals this past 
season, but Coach Clark's baseball team did not wish it to happen again, with many of his players also 
members of Coach Topper's basketball team just a few months ago.  Jeff Clements pitched 5 2/3 innings of 
superb baseball by shutting down the University High players to no runs on only 5 scattered hits.  Josh Blaum 
provided the hitting punch with both RBI's, one on a double in the second following a lead-off double by Clements, 
and the second on a solo home run in the 4th inning.  

In the 6th inning, with 2 on and 2 out, Blaum relieved Clements and struck out the next batter to end the inning. 
Blaum then struck out the side in the 7th inning to preserve the win.  The Toppers had their hitting shoes on again, 
banging out 9 hits along the way.  To go along with Blaum's 3-for-3 performance, John Foley went 2-for-3.  There
were plenty of excellent defensive plays on both sides throughout the game.  Mount Pulaski (26-5-1) goes up against
Eureka in a Super-sectional match-up at 11:00 am on Monday Morning in Bloomington at Illinois Wesleyan U.

Clements, Blaum help Hilltoppers nip U High  (Bloomington Pantograph)

             The Hilltoppers won in sectional semi-final play by defeating Deer Creek-Machinaw (25-6) in a masterful 
match-up, 1-0.  Both teams played championship ball as Mt. Pulaski emerged the winner in a hard-fought contest.  
The only score in the game came in the 4th inning when Tyson Hurst ran out an infield single and Josh Blaum 
doubled him home.  Josh was thrown out at third base when trying to stretch the double into a triple.  

                                   Both teams played great defensive ball, with the likes of Dan Gleason at Short throwing out a Machinaw
 runner at the plate in the 6th inning (Catcher Chase Lowery making a great catch and tag of the sliding runner) and Tim Milner 
making an over-the-shoulder catch while on a dead run into right center field in the last inning.  John Foley, junior right-hander, 
pitched the game of his life with a complete-game masterpiece.  Foley is 7-1 on the season.

The Hilltoppers (25-5-1) take on Normal University High (25-10-1), who was victorious over #1 seeded Rochester (27-6).  

Hilltoppers hold on to win Regional, defeat Williamsville 9-7.  
The Hilltoppers had their way most of the game, leading by as much as 9-3.  But the hometown 
favorites came back in a 6th inning outburst and almost tied the game, 9-7.  It took a double play to get
the Hilltoppers out of deeper trouble.  Josh Blaum asked the coach to keep him in and the 6-foot-6 right-hander
came in to finish up the game in the 7th inning for a complete-game victory, his 7th win against only 1 defeat.

In that 6th inning outburst, the Williamsville Bullets posted 4 runs on a 2-run double down the right-field line and a RBI 
single to close the margin, 9-6.  With no outs, a Bullet pinch-hitter hit a soft grounder to Dan Gleason in Short, whose only play
was at 1st.  Then, 1st baseman Brian Clements noticed the man on 3rd breaking for home and threw a "strike" to catcher
Chase Lowery for a very close play at home on the sliding runner.   With two outs, the Bullets scored their 4th run of
the inning on a wild pitch to further reduce the Topper lead to 9-7.  However, the double play had been the big stopper. 
 Blaum had 7 K's, 1 BB's, while allowing 7 hits.  In the 7th, the imposing junior pitcher got a flyout, a strikeout, and a 
groundout to end the exciting game.  Blaum later remarked that although his pitch count was high, he has a "rubber arm".

The Hilltoppers took advantage of two Williamsville errors and two hit batters to score three runs in the 1st inning.  A 
relief pitcher got Blaum to ground into a double play, which suddenly ended the inning.  Nevertheless, the Toppers quickly 
showed the home-town players and fans that they had come to play and were not intimidated by a team that had defeated them 
earlier in the season by a lop-sided score, 9-3.  Pulaski added a run in the 3rd for a 4-0 lead.  The hot-hitting Toppers added 2 runs in 
each of the 4th and 5th innings and then a final run in the 6th.  The Toppers had 11 hits in the game, making only one miscue.  Williamsville
 had only 7 hits, while making 4 errors.  The Toppers left 9 men on base, while the Bullets left only 2.  Williamsville used five pitchers
during the contest.  The hits, runs scored and RBI's were spread out throughout the lineup.  Doubles were recorded by Blaum 
and Craig Erlenbush.  Gleason, John Foley, and Tim Milner each had 2 hits.  

The Toppers improved their season record to 24-5-1, with Williamsville closing out their season at 24-7.  The Bullets
 were after their 1st Regional trophy since 1997, but today the Hilltoppers could not be denied in their quest for one.  They advance
 to sectional play, taking on Deer Creek-Machinaw (25-5), who nipped Olympia 2-1 for the Riverton Regional title.  The game with
 Deer Creek-Machinaw will be a semi-final sectional match-up at the Stanford Olympia venue on Thursday at 4:30.  The sectional
championship game is scheduled for Saturday at 1 pm.  Normal and Rochester face each other in the other Stanford/Olympia
semi-final sectional game, this to be held on Wednesday at 4:30 pm.

Hilltoppers win in Regional Play...beat Delavan, 6-0
Brian Clements (8-3) pitched 6 strong innings, allowing only 1 hit and 3 base-on-balls,
while striking out 9.  Clements also hit a round-tripper, with Dan Gleason and Chase
Lowery banging out doubles in today's semi-final regional play.  John Foley pitched no-hit
ball in the 7th inning to finish up the game.  The Hilltoppers (23-5) go up against Williamsville in the
title game on Monday at 4:30.  Williamsville (24-6) defeated Mason City's Illinois Central (6-17) 9-0
 earlier in the day.

Follow IHSA Baseball Playoffs in both 
A and AA divisons...Click on the following link:

http://www.ihsa.org/scores/4y19ba1.htm

Topper Softball

Toppers lose title game to Warrensburg/Latham, 2-1.
The Lady Toppers had their excellent season ended in a hard-fought regional title game with
Warrensburg/Latham, losing 2-1.  The team had come a long long way this season with their 
winning record and trip to the local championship game.  Warrensburg/Latham was highly ranked, 
with a record of 28-3, while the guttsy Toppers closed out their fine season at 13-11.  Topper Jamie
Smith and Redbird Holly Walden matched each other pitch for pitch, except Smith allow 4 BB's, while
Walden allowed only 1 BB.  Also, the imposing Walden had 16 KO's, with Smith having only 3 KO's today.
Each pitcher allowed only 2 hits.  There were only 3 errors in the game, but the Toppers had two of them.

The Lady Toppers advanced to the title game in the Warrensburg Regional with a 2-1 win over 
Springfield's Ursuline HS on Saturday.  The deciding run came in the 6th inning when Jamie Smith
hit a 2-out single, scoring Maggie Gleason from 2nd base.  Gleason had singled and had advanced
to 2nd on a fielder's choice.   In the 1st inning, Christy Anderson scored the Topper's first run on two
Ursuline errors.  Smith pitched a complete game for the victory.  Ursuline had 6 hits against only 3
for the Toppers, but Smith kept her poise and pitched through the jams to gain her 10th win of the season.  

Lady Toppers advance to Warrensburg regional semifinals by defeating Central A & M
 12-2 (Thursday) on their home field.  Nicole Hanner led the way for the locals going 4-for-4 
in an offense that produced 17 hits in six innings.  Other teammates having a multiple-hit
game were: Jamie Smith, Maggy Gleason, Molly Gleason and Renae Krueger.  
Leanna Gleason and Mallory Davis both had extra-base hits with one RBI each.  Jamie
Smith got the victory, which evened her season record to 9-9.  Mt. Pulaski (12-10) are 10th
seeded and will go up against Springfield Ursuline at 1 pm on Saturday at Warrensburg.

Follow the Toppers in post-season play by clicking on the following link:

http://www.ihsa.org/scores/4y20sbg1.htm