BASEBALL: Tribe rolls past Z-R-C, win streak at seven

Du Quoin has benefited from contributions throughout the lineup during their recent hot streak, and that trend continued on Wednesday as every starter reached base and the Indians won their seventh game in a row, beating Z-R-C 10-3 and racking up 15 hits at the plate.

The first six Du Quoin hitters all had RBIs and Levi Brening and Brock Bullar belted back-to-back opposite field home runs in the first inning to get the offense kick-started.

"The ball Levi hit was absolutely crushed," said DHS head baseball coach Tim Craft. "There was no doubt about it when he hit it. It was good to see Brock get into one too, he's hit that fence numerous times, it's good to see him finally get one over it."

Brening also picked up the win on the rubber with five and a third innings of work, allowing three runs on five hits and three walks with five strikeouts.

"Levi did a good job of coming in and throwing strikes and was solid for us again," Craft said. "Up and down the lineup we had some big hits today."

Getting the start for DHS was A.J. Smith, pitching for the first time since leaving the game on April 6th with discomfort in his throwing arm. Smith didn't allow a hit in his inning and two thirds, but showed some signs of rust with four walks, and was pulled in favor of Brening after his second free pass of the second inning. Craft was encouraged with the performance and said the possibility exists that Smith could throw in the postseason.

"We were monitoring him a little bit, didn't want to let him go too far," Craft said. "We'll take it day by day with him and see how he bounces back tomorrow."

After Brening and Bullar's bombs made it 3-0 Du Quoin in the first, neither team scored again until the bottom of the fourth when the Indians sent ten men to the plate. Ashton Smith started the five-run rally with a leadoff single, then Ethan Keller (double), Jacob Valier (RBI single) and A.J. Smith (RBI double) strung together one-out hits. Bullar and Braden Lee later had two-out RBIs and the Indians were in charge up 8-0.

The Tornadoes got three back in the top of the fifth on two hits and three walks, but Brening stopped the bleeding there and retired seven of the last eight Z-R-C batters of the game.

Cole Hopkins and Keller drove in insurance runs for Du Quoin in the bottom of the sixth.

Keller (2-5, R, RBI, 2B), Valier (3-5, 2 R, RBI, 2B), A.J. Smith (2-3, R, RBI, 2B), Brening (1-4, R, 2 RBI, HR), Bullar (2-4, R, 2 RBI, HR), Lee (1-3, R, RBI, HBP), Ashton Smith (3-4, R) and Ryne O'Rourke (1-3, R, HBP) had hits for the Indians.

DHS (20-10) has added one final game to the regular season schedule at 4:30 p.m. this Friday afternoon at home against Chester. They'll host their Regional at the Ballpark at DHS beginning Monday, May 18 at 4:30 p.m. against Pinckneyville with the winner advancing to Thursday, May 21's semifinal against West Frankfort.