The Gibault High School baseball team is this week’s Republic-Times Team of the Week.

The Hawks are on an impressive post-season push, winning its second regional title in a row Saturday. Below is a sneak peak of the article on the team’s regional victory in the May 22nd edition of the Republic-Times.

Gibault short-games New Athens for regional title

The Gibault High School baseball team is marching right along in the post-season. The Hawks took their second regional title in a row Saturday, short-gaming New Athens, 11-1, in six innings.

The Hawks coach says the nature of the game, which they won with ease, does not take away from the title, but “our goals are more than just a regional championship,” GHS baseball coach Andy Skaer said.

Prior to Saturday’s Class 1A Okawville Regional win, Gibault advanced in a hard-fought contest with Okawville, coming out on top 9-6. The Hawks’ good fortune continued in the semifinal round, when New Athens star pitcher Blake Ragland went down with an ankle injury in Friday’s game against Valmeyer. The Pirates would drop the close semifinal match-up, 1-0, and end their season at 10-18.

“Pitchers in the post-season make a big difference,” Skaer said, referring to Ragland being out for the regional title game. Instead, Luke Marlow took the mound for the Yellow Jackets, facing Gibault’s Austin Beccue, who pitched the entire six inning game. He gave up just one run, three hits, one walk and had six strikeouts on the day.

The Gibault offense also capitalized, especially in the bottom part of the lineup. Batting No. 7, junior Zach Neff went 3-for-3 with a double and an RBI, while senior Will Shepherd went 2-for-2 with four RBIs right behind Neff.

“We hit the ball well up and down the line-up,” Skaer said of his team’s offensive effort, stating that it seemed as though everyone was getting a hit with the team notching a total of 13  on the day.

Now the Hawks are looking to their Carlinville Sectional semifinal game Wednesday. GHS will face Lebanon, who they smashed, 11-1, two weeks ago in regular season play.

“I don’t think the result of that game will be any indication of how this game will go,” Skaer said, referring back to pitching.

Gibault expects to see the Greyhounds’ No. 1 ace Zach Becherer on Wednesday. Becherer has an ERA of 2.35 and a record of 7-1.

The Hawks will match with their No. 1 pitcher Zach Neff (ERA- 2.33, record- 5-2).

Congrats Hawks, keep up the good work!