The Columbia High School baseball team posted two come-from-behind victories in Waterloo on Saturday to win this year’s Monroe County Baseball Tournament. 

The Eagles (29-4) opened Class 2A regional play at home Wednesday against Marquette with the objective to make a return trip to the state tournament, where they placed third last year.

Marquette had sights set on an upset, but the Eagles won in thrilling fashion. Down 3-2 in the bottom of the seventh inning, Dom Voegele smacked a two-run homer for the walk-off win. Columbia plays 11 a.m. Saturday against Breese Central in the regional final for a berth in the Breese Central Sectional on May 25.

Voegele also picked up the pitching win with a scoreless seventh inning of relief with two strikeouts.

Columbia opened the county tourney with a 6-4 win in eight innings at Gibault. The Hawks led 4-1 into the seventh inning, only to see the Eagles rally to tie it up. Cash Bailey went 4-for-4 with two RBIs for Columbia.

In the tourney final, Waterloo and Columbia were tied at 4-4 after six innings before the Eagles busted the game open.

Saturday’s wins were preceded by an impressive victory for the Eagles over Edwardsville last Wednesday, 8-5. Voegele homered and also pitched five and one-third innings for the mound win. Brody Landgraf went 2-for-4 with a homer and three RBIs.

Voegele, a University of Kansas commit, leads the entire St. Louis area with 12 home runs, is second in doubles with 19, second with 46 RBIs this season, and second with 50 runs. His 1.087 slugging percentage also ranks second in the area, and his .515 batting average ranks ninth. He also has 25 stolen bases.

As a pitcher, the hard-throwing righty is 7-0 with a 1.05 ERA and 78 strikeouts in 46 and two-thirds innings.

Waterloo (21-11-1) is wrapping up regular season play before regionals next week.

The Bulldogs suffered a 5-2 defeat Monday at the hands of Belleville East. Nolan Veto allowed just one earned run in six innings pitched, striking out eight. Evan Davis went 3-for-3 with two RBIs.

Waterloo won Wednesday at Belleville West, 5-0. Davis went 2-for-4 with three RBIs and Max Oswald went 3-for-4 with two runs. Nate Phillips pitched a complete game two-hitter with eight strikeouts.

On Thursday, the ‘Dogs dropped a 9-0 contest to Mascoutah.

Waterloo hosts Carbondale on Monday to conclude the regular season. Waterloo opens Class 3A Mascoutah Regional play May 25 against Civic Memorial. 

Bryce Reese homered for the ‘Dogs in last Saturday’s loss to Columbia. 

Earlier last Saturday, Waterloo won 6-2 over Valmeyer. Davis and Reese collected two hits each, and Jack Roessler struck out 14 in a complete game pitching win. 

On Friday, Waterloo won 10-0 at Granite City. Roessler went 2-for-2 with a homer and three RBIs. Davis added a hit and four RBIs.

Last Wednesday, Waterloo lost 9-3 to Mascoutah. Davis went 3-for-4 with a homer and three RBIs.

Last Tuesday, the ‘Dogs were downed 5-3 by Nashville. Waterloo only had four hits on the day.

Davis is hitting .500 to lead the ‘Dogs. He has 43 RBIs, 35 runs and 14 doubles. 

Reese is hitting .444 with 12 doubles and 27 RBIs.

Nate Phillips is 7-1 with a 1.06 ERA in 46-plus innings pitched.

Gibault (18-14) battled Dupo in a Class 1A Valmeyer Regional contest at Borsch Park on Wednesday. The Hawks plated two in the sixth inning and held on for a 3-1 victory. Brady Biffar pitched a complete game with seven strikeouts and Hudson Blank went 2-for-3 with two runs.

The Hawks will face Marissa for the regional title in Valmeyer at 11 a.m. Saturday. It is a rematch from last year’s regional final, which Marissa won.

The Hawks won 17-9 over Valmeyer last Saturday to take third in the county tourney. Darin drew four walks and scored three times. Kameron Hanvey and Biffar both went 3-for-3.

On Friday, Gibault won 13-1 over Carlyle. Hanvey and Hudson both went 2-for-3 in the victory. 

On Thursday, the Hawks lost 10-6 to Freeburg. Blank homered and Darin pitched four solid innings.

Last Wednesday, Gibault won 4-3 over Dupo. The Tigers rallied to tie it 3-3 in the top of seventh, only to have the Hawks walk it off in the bottom half of the inning. Ty Frierdich went 2-for-3 with a run for Gibault. 

Darin is tops in the St. Louis area with 33 walks. He’s hitting .403 with four homers, 23 RBIs and 34 runs.

Blank is hitting .413 with 30 RBIs and 30 runs. 

Hanvey is hitting .364 with 39 runs and 20 stolen bases. On the mound, he’s 7-3 with a 3.13 ERA in 47 innings.

The winner of the Class 1A Valmeyer Regional advances to the Greenville University Sectional on May 24.

Valmeyer (9-22) opened regional play with a 16-2 win over Maryville Christian on Monday. Chase Snyder went 2-for-3 with four RBIs, Ripken Voelker went 2-for-4 with three RBIs and Jacob Brown went 3-for-3 with three runs. 

On Thursday, the Pirates lost 12-4 to Marissa to end their season in the regional.

Luke Blackwell homered for the Pirates in Saturday’s loss to Gibault. Brown, Voelker and Jake Killy added two hits each. 

Landon Roy went 2-for-4 with an RBI in Saturday’s loss to Waterloo. 

Last Thursday, Valmeyer lost 10-0 to Althoff. Brown had the only hit for the Pirates.

Last Wednesday, Valmeyer lost 6-5 in eight innings to Steeleville. Voelker went 2-for-3 with an RBI.

Last Tuesday, Valmeyer lost 4-1 at New Athens despite a 3-for-4 day from Elijah Miller with four stolen bases.

Miller leads the entire St. Louis area with 51 stolen bases to go along with a .333 batting average and .472 on base percentage. On the mound, he’s 5-5 with a 3.92 ERA.

Roy is hitting .326 with 35 stolen bases for the Pirates.

Dupo (4-17) won 14-2 at Metro East Lutheran on Monday to advance in regional play. 

Chance Hunter pitched well for the Tigers in last week’s late-inning loss to Gibault. He’s hitting .357 and is 2-2 with  2.22 ERA in 41 innings pitched. 

Logan Stevens leads Dupo in hitting at .359 with 17 runs and 20 stolen bases.

Deegan Prater is hitting .319, and Jorri Kelling is hitting .309 for Dupo.