Hankins Caps 7th-Inning Rally With Walk-Off Hit as Chargers Sweep Illinois Valley

GALESBURG — Payton Hankins' walk-off single with two outs capped a three-run rally in the seventh inning of Game 2, sending the Carl Sandburg College baseball team to an Arrowhead Conference sweep of Illinois Valley on Tuesday afternoon.

GAME 1
Sandburg 13, Illinois Valley 0 (5 innings)
Illinois Valley   000      00        —        0          2          0
Sandburg         408      1x        —        13        12        12
W: David Smith 3 IP, 8 K, 2 BB

KEY MOMENT
The Chargers never looked back after scoring four runs in the opening frame. Mitch Ball singled with one out before back-to-back home runs from Jack Shields and Frank Kelch. Bryce Brown's single two batters later knocked in Logan Van Heuklon for a 4-0 Sandburg lead.

SANDBURG STANDOUT
Shields drove in a team-best four runs, was one of four Chargers with two hits and hit one of four Sandburg homers in Game 1. The sophomore third baseman finished 2 for 4 with a double, a pair of runs scored and four RBIs.

OTHER TOP CHARGERS
• Hunter Caves — 2 for 3, home run, walk, two runs, two RBIs, stolen base
• Kelch — 1 for 2, walk, home run, two RBIs
• Van Heuklon — 2 for 3, home run, two runs, two RBIs, stolen base
• Brown — 2 for 3, run, RBI

GAME 2
Sandburg 14, Illinois Valley 13
Illinois Valley   303      052      0          —        13        14        2
Sandburg         004      511      3          —        14        14        3
W: Van Heuklon 1 IP, 2 K, 0 BB

KEY MOMENTS
• Down 13-10 in the sixth, Kelch drilled his second homer of the game (and third of the afternoon) to center to lead off the inning.
• Still trailing 13-11 in the seventh, Mitch Ball opened the inning with a triple, and Shields followed with a game-tying two-run homer to center.
• Kelch, the next batter, was intentionally walked, and the Chargers were down to their final out after Van Heuklong hit into a fielder's choice and Kadin Spencer struck out. Logan Korte kept the game alive with a single that pushed Van Heuklon to second. Hankins then grounded one through to center field to bring in Van Heuklon for the game-winning run.

SANDBURG STANDOUT
Hankins' heroics capped a game in which he reached base safely in all five of his plate appearances. The freshman right fielder singled three times in three at-bats, walked twice, scored three runs and drove in two.

OTHER TOP CHARGERS
• Ball — 3 for 4, triple, walk, three runs, two RBIs, stolen base
• Shields — 1 for 3, home run, two runs, three RBIs
• Kelch — 2 for 3, two home runs, two walks, five RBIs
• Caves — 1 for 3, two walks, RBI, stolen base

UP NEXT FOR SANDBURG
5 p.m. Thursday at Southeastern 

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