VIRDEN - Marcus Payne had two RBIs, while Parker LeMarr drove in another run, and Adam Hale struck out five on the mound as Piasa Southwestern clinched the South Central Conference baseball championship with a 3-1 win over Virden North Mac Monday afternoon at North Mac's park.
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The win sent the Piasa Birds' record to 24-6, while the Panthers went to 10-9 on the year. Southwestern clinched the conference crown with a record of 9-0, pulling away from the rest of the competition.
Southwestern head boys baseball coach and athletic director Brian Hanslow was ecstatic about the win to take the conference title.
"We have been playing well," he said. "We have won two close games against Greenville and North Mac. This is a good testament for the kids. We have great pitching and our defensive efforts have been great lately."
Southwestern scored once in the second and twice in the third to take a 3-0 lead, while North Mac hit for a single run in the bottom of the fifth, but could get no closer as Southwestern took the win and the SCC championship.
Payne had two hits and his two RBIs to lead the Birds, while Rocky Darr had two hits, Parker LeMarr had a hit and RBI, and Reed Campbell, Hale, Colin LeMarr, and Hunter Newell all had hits.
Hale pitched five innings on the mound to earn the win, allowing one run on six hits, walking two and striking out five, while Rocky Darr picked up the save, going two innings and giving up three hits, while walking one and fanning two.
Southwestern ends its regular season with a road contest at East Alton-Wood River on Tuesday, hosts Carrollton in its annual Senior Day game on Thursday, and concludes the regular season at Marquette Catholic on May 13, with all games starting at 4:30 p.m.
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