Published: May 14, 2008 11:58 am            

Dust returns to mound, Shoes open regional with win

She's baaack . . . Maria Dust has returned to the pitching mound with a vengeance and just in time for the Teutopolis softball team to make a run towards the state tournament.

Dust, who didn't pitch for about three weeks and finally returned to the mound last week, threw a one-hitter, allowing only one walk in the final inning and struck out seven as the Shoes blanked Shelbyville 10-0 in opening round play of the Effingham St. Anthony Regional Tuesday.

"She's getting ahead of batters and mixing up her pitches very well," said T-town Coach Rich Niebrugge. "She had good command of her pitches today and got batters to ground out. She's certainly well on the way to recovery. It was just a very positive outing. Maria went three weeks without pitching at all. She's a leader on this club and just a fierce competitor."

Dust had Shelbyville off balance and threw a no-hitter through the first three innings. However, Jennifer Hood broke that up in the top of the fourth with a single to left field. But that was the lone hit for the Rams.

While Shelbyville pitcher Turaisa Welton had thrown 54 pitches through the first three innings, Dust had tossed only 27.

Meanwhile, T-town went to work offensively, banging out eight hits and scoring 10 runs to end the game early via the 10-run rule.

The Shoes led off with a three-run first. With one out, Courtney Heuerman drew a walk and Dust followed with a single. A fly ball to right field by Nicole Runde scored C. Heuerman. Tara Heuerman, the courtesy runner for Dust, came home on a single by Sammy Kroeger. Kroeger dented the plate when Bailey Kroeger singled.

T-town added on two runs in the second to push its lead to 5-0. Kasey Hoelscher led off the frame with a walk and came home on a triple by Whitney Pruemer. Pruemer scored on a ground out to shortstop by C. Heuerman.

The lead went to 6-0 in the third as N. Runde led off with a single, stole second, took third on a wild pitch and came home on a throw to first base. The Rams got out of the inning on a double play.

Hoelscher doubled to start the fourth inning and took third on a wild pitch. Pruemer drew a walk. With one out, C. Heuerman drew a walk to load the bases. Dust singled to score Hoelscher. Pruemer came home on a wild pitch that the catcher finally gathered in and threw to the pitcher covering home plate. However, the throw went past the pitcher and C. Heuerman scored. T. Heuerman came home on a ground out by N. Runde and the Shoes had a 10-0 lead.

Dust had allowed only one runner on base through the first four innings. In the fifth, she gave up her first and only walk to Sam Agney. But Dust buckled down and got the next two outs on a strikeout and a fly ball to second.

"We played solid defense," said Niebrugge. "The batters were very disciplined at the plate. They put the bat on the ball. Now we're looking forward to Saturday."

The Shoes had eight hits led by Dust with two singles and an RBI. The rest of the six hits were scattered among six batters.

The Shoes improve to 32-4 which ties for the most victories in a season. Last year the Shoes finished 32-2. T-town will face either Effingham St. Anthony or Hillsboro Saturday for the regional championship. The No. 3 Bulldogs take on No. 6 Hillsboro today at 4:30 p.m. at Evergreen Hollow Park.

Millie Lange can be reached at 217-347-7151 ext. 123 or millie.lange@effinghamdailynews.com.

Effingham St. Anthony Regional

At Evergreen Hollow Park

SHELBYVILLE
---------------ab---r---h---bi
Hood 1b------2---0---1---0
Rhodes ss----2---0---0---0
Boone cf------2---0---0---0
K.Agney 3b---2---0---0---0
Langon dp----2---0---0---0
S.Agney lf----1---0---0---0
Welton p-----2---0---0---0
Egsti 2b------2---0---0---0
Bitting c------2---0---0---0
Compton rf---1---0---0---0
TOTALS------18---0---1---0

TEUTOPOLIS
------------------ab---r---h---bi
K.Runde ss-------3---0---0---0
C.Heuerman c----1---2---0---1
Dust p-------------3---0---2---1
T.Heuerman cr---0---2---0---0
N.Runde 2b------3---1---1---1
S.Kroeger cf-----2---1---1---1
Willenborg ph---1---0---1---0
B.Kroeger dp----1---0---1---0
Williams 1b------2---0---0---0
Niebrugge rf-----2---0---0---0
Hoelscher 3b----1---2---1---0
Pruemer lf------1---2---1---1
TOTALS-------20--10---8---5

Shelbyville---000---00---------0
Teutopolis---321---4x--------10

E — Boone, K. Agney, Bitting. DP — Shelbyville. LOB — Shelbyville 1, Teutopolis 3. 2B — Hoelscher. 3B — Pruemer. SB — T. Heuerman, S. Kroeger, C. Heuerman, N. Runde.

PITCHING SUMMARY
---------------IP---R--H--SO--BB
Shelbyville
Welton (L)---4---10---8---1---4
Teutopolis
Dust (W)-----5----0---1---7---1
WP — Welton (4). T — 1:06.