Prep Softball
Andrea Lawson put the Roxana High softball team in a good mood Thursday.
The junior right-hander limited the visiting Explorers to five hits as the Shells posted an 8-0 nonconference victory. Roxana had 10 hits and struck for five runs in the fourth inning and three more in the fifth.
Kelsey Flatt was 2-for-2 with a double and two RBIs for the winners. Peyton Arnett, Cindy Scroggins and Abby Palen also had two hits apiece.
Morgan Wideman’s pair of hits led the Explorers. Megan Wittich was the losing pitcher.
The Shells go to Southwestern on Friday for South Central Conference softball and baseball. Marquette is slated to play Friday at Quincy Notre Dame.
Prep Baseball
Marquette 7, Metro East Lutheran 4 – The Explorers recorded a Prairie State win over the Knights at Moore Park. Marquette erupted for 14 hits in all and used a five-run third to build a 6-2 advantage.
Austin Siener had the biggest day for Marquette. He collected four hits. Teammate Stephen Peuterbaugh added two hits. The Explorers are scheduled to welcome Belleville Althoff in a 7 p.m. game Monday in Hopkins Field.
Belleville East 5, Alton 0 – Austin Wilson of Belleville East blanked the Redbirds on a three-hitter and fanned five during his gem. The Lancers, who had eight hits, led only 2-0 through five innings. But their three-run sixth gave Wilson all the insurance he needed.
Nick Cauley absorbed the defeat for the 16-10 Redbirds. They will play host to Waterloo Gibault in a 4:30 game Monday at Moore Park.
College Basketball
Thomas goes to UIC – Deon Thomas, the men’s head basketball coach and athletics director at Lewis and Clark Community College, has joined the Illinois-Chicago basketball program.
Thomas, 43 and a Chicago native, will serve as an assistant coach for Howard Moore. Thomas coached the LCCC program for five years and compiled a 78-76 record. He also oversaw the Trailblazers making the jump from D-2 to D-1 in men’s basketball.
The 6-foot-9 Thomas is the career scoring leader at the University of Illinois with 2,219 points. UIC, 6-25 last season, also promoted Jeremy Buttell to assistant coach.
“I’m thrilled for UIC basketball that Deon and Jeremy are now on the coaching staff,” Moore said. “Deon is a remarkable individual with many years of elite basketball experience. His knowledge of the game and his eye for talent is a tremendous addition for the Flames.”
UIC belongs to the NCAA Division I Horizon League.
College Track
SIUE’s Ward honored – The Cougars’ La’Derrick Ward, a Cahokia High graduate, has been selected the Ohio Valley Conference’s Male Field Track Athlete of the Year.
Ward, who has been ranked No. 1 nationally after posting a long jump mark of 26 feet, 3 inches at the Gateway Invitational, has been setting the pace for the Cougars all year.
His long jump also is the seventh-best leap on the international stage. Ward also set SIUE's record in the triple jump with a mark of 49-1.75.
Ward and his SIUE track and field team will be competing Friday and Saturday at the OVC Outdoor Track and Field Championships at Korte Stadium.
The two-day meet will begin Friday with field events at noon and track events at 3 p.m. On Saturday, field events begin at 11 a.m. and track events start at 2 p.m.
Both days also will feature multi events (decathlon, heptathlon) starting at 9 a.m. Single-day tickets for the event are $10 for adults and $5 for students.