That's a winner!

On Thursday, the Oran High School baseball team took to the field for the final time in the 2017-2018 season.  The Eagles, 17-9, were facing the 16-5 St. Elizabeth Hornets for Class 1 state championship in O'Fallon on Car Shield field.  For the third straight game, Oran lost the toss and was the visiting team on the scoreboard.  It gave the Eagles a chance to score first and that they did.

Layne Johnson opened the game with a single.  Todd Priggel followed by beating out a sacrifice bunt attempt.  Drew Reischman moved them to second and third with a groundout.  Clay Sauceda made it 1-0 with a sacrifice fly

The Eagles added two more in the third with four consecutive singles.  Johnson led off with his second hit of the day.  Priggel reached on another bunt single.  Johnson scored on Reischman's single.  Clay Sauceda drove home Priggel with a single, moving Reischman to third.  Dane Shands ran for Sauceda.  Cole Priggel tried the squeeze bunt, but Reischman was ruled out on a questionable call.  Oran would score no more in the third, they led 3-0.

The Hornets would score their only run in the fifth.  A one-out single, a groundout and a stolen base followed by another single made it 3-1.

The Eagles got that run back in the sixth. 

With two down, Denver Elfrink reached on an infield error, went to third on Johnson's single and scored on a balk to set the final score at 4-1.

Reischman, the Eagle starter, worked around a leadoff double in the seventh, he got two ground balls to Cole Priggel at third before Elfrink caught a line drive in left to set the stage for the dogpile on the mound.

Reischman went the distance.  He improved to 4-3. He allowed seven hits and the one earned run.  He did not walk anyone. and he struck out six. He was 2-3 at the plate with an RBI.  Sauceda was 2-2 with two runs driven in.  Johnson was 3-4 and scored twice. Todd Priggel had two hits.

For the Eagles, it was their second state title in baseball.  For several of the players, it will be their second ring.  After winning the 2017 Class 2 basketball title, Layne Johnson, Drew Reischman, Denver Elfrink, Peyton McVay, Cole and Todd Priggel will have twice the bling.