The high school baseball season keeps pushing on in and around Monroe County, featuring highs and lows that come with the daily grind of a sports season. 

Columbia (11-7) has been trending up of late, winning seven of eight recent contests.

On Monday, the Eagles won convincingly at home over Marquette, 14-1. Columbia pounded out 15 total hits for winning pitcher Sam Donald, who was solid over five innings. Brody Landgraf went 2-for-4 with a grand slam, and Eagles teammate Cash Bailey also contributed two hits with a homer. Mason Voegele went 3-for-4 with a triple and three runs, and Micah James also got in on the fun by going 2-for-3 with three RBIs.

On Tuesday, it was a 17-1 win over Wood River. James went 3-for-4 with a homer, two doubles, and four RBIs. Bosch added three hits and three RBIs.

On Wednesday, Columbia won 2-1 over O’Fallon. Connor Basinski picked up the pitching win and Voegele collected the save. Will Kleinschmidt drove in both runs for the Eagles.

On Thursday, it was a 14-2 blasting of Wood River. See photos from this game by clicking here.

Last Friday, Columbia posted an impressive 2-0 victory over Belleville East. Brady Hemminghaus struck out seven over four and one-third shutout innings and was helped by RBIs from both James and Landgraf.

This past Thursday, the Eagles won 14-4 over Wesclin. Landgraf and James came through again, both going 3-for-3 with a pair of RBIs. Ayden Sepich was the winning pitcher on this day, striking out seven in four innings. 

Last Wednesday, Columbia dropped a 2-1 contest to Roxana. No runs were scored in this game after the second inning. Landgraf had an RBI double, and Basinski pitched well for the Eagles in defeat.

Last Tuesday, the Eagles bested Roxana in eight innings, 7-1. Columbia scored six runs in the extra frame. Bosch went 3-for-4 with an RBI, Sully Bonaldi collected two hits, and Donald pitched six solid innings. 

Columbia hosts Breese Central on Tuesday. 

Bailey has four homers to lead the Eagles, who are led in batting average by James at .500 with 14 runs and 16 RBIs. 

Waterloo (10-6) has run into some trouble of late.

On Monday, it was a 15-5 beating at the hands of Mississippi Valley Conference foe Triad. Rowan Schilling went 2-for-2 with an RBI for the Bulldogs.

On Tuesday, the Bulldogs were bolstered by a five-run fourth inning in a 7-3 win over Mt. Vernon. Chaten Kirchner had three hits.

On Wednesday, Waterloo dropped a 1-0 battle against Triad. The Bulldogs were held to just two hits. Conrad Lindhorst went the distance on the mound, allowing an unearned run.

This past Thursday, Waterloo lost 15-9 at Marion. Trey Conrod went 2-for-4 with a home run, and Max Oswald drove in two runs in a losing effort.

Last Wednesday, the Bulldogs picked up a 6-4 conference win over Mascoutah. A four-run fourth inning catapulted Waterloo to victory. Lindhorst went the distance on the mound, allowing just three hits while striking out five. Kirchner went 3-for-4 with two RBIs, Caleb Papenberg went 1-for-3 with three RBIs, and Patrick O’Donnell contributed two hits.

Waterloo plays Friday against Collinsville at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville, then travels Monday to Highland.

Kirchner is the leading hitter this spring for the ‘Dogs at .361. O’Donnell is hitting .339 with four home runs, 15 RBIs, 17 runs and 11 stolen bases. 

Gibault (5-11) posted a 9-8 win over a tough Red Bud squad this past Thursday. Freshman pitcher Dante Gianino struck out seven over four innings for the victory, with Carson Timmons going three innings for the save. Tyler Frierdich went 3-for-4 with a triple, and Peyton Schaefer went 2-for-4 with three RBIs for the Hawks. Robert Pierpoint, Kole Schilling and Michael Wessel all added two hits apiece.

Gibault played Wednesday at Trico, winning 6-4. A four-run sixth inning put the Hawks in flight. Pierpoint and Nolan Snell each had three hits, with Frierdich adding two hits and two RBIs. Nathaniel Atkinson was the winning pitcher after throwing a complete game.

Gibault hosts Teutopolis and Freeburg in a Saturday doubleheader, and then hosts Valmeyer on Monday.

Wessel leads the Hawks in hitting at .326 with 12 RBIs and a dozen runs. 

Schaefer is the top pitcher with a 3.98 ERA in just under 20 innings. 

Valmeyer (6-13) lost 4-3 to New Athens in eight innings last Thursday. The Pirates rallied to tie the game in the bottom of the seventh inning, only to see New Athens win it in the top half of the extra frame. Chase Snyder went 2-for-3 with a home run. Luke Blackwell went 2-for-3 with an RBI. 

Last Tuesday, Valmeyer lost 7-3 to New Athens. Blackwell went 2-for-2 with a homer and Evan Hill contributed a double with two RBIs.

The Pirates played Tuesday at Marissa, falling 14-6. Marissa plated 12 runs in the final two innings.

On Wednesday, Valmeyer lost 16-8 to Valley Park. Landon Roy went 4-for-5 with four RBIs.

Valmeyer hosted Marissa on Thursday, falling 7-0. Blackwell went 2-for-3.

Valmeyer plays Friday at Chester, hosts Wesclin on Saturday, plays Monday at Gibault and then travels Tuesday at Dupo. 

Blackwell leads the Pirates in hitting at .482 with three homers, nine doubles, 11 RBIs and 22 runs. Snyder is hitting .347 with 14 RBIs.

Dupo (2-12) lost 6-2 to Steeleville last Thursday. Brady Portell had a hit and RBI for the Tigers.

Last Tuesday, it was a 4-2 loss to Steeleville. Thinh Staggs went 2-for-2 with an RBI and Deegan Prater struck out nine over six innings. 

Dupo lost 13-1 to New Athens on Tuesday and lost 8-4 to Wesclin on Wednesday. Teegan Hargrove went 3-for-4 with an RBI in Wednesday’s loss.

On Thursday, it was a 4-1 loss for the Tigers against New Athens. Dupo was held to two hits and committed two errors.

Dupo hosts Valmeyer on Tuesday. 

Prater leads the Tigers in hitting at .444, including a .512 on base percentage. He has 11 runs and 12 RBIs.

Teegan Hargrove is Dupo’s top pitcher with a 2.88 ERA.