By Sean Duncan
Executive Director

PEORIA, IL – Putnam County was effectively getting shut down by Salt Fork junior left-hander Ross Learnard for the first five innings of the Class 1A state semifinals Friday. That is, until the fifth inning, when Putnam County pushed across three runs to propel the Panthers to a 3-1 victory.

 Junior right-hander Harold Fay (8-4) took care of the rest, retiring the side in the seventh to send the Panthers into Saturday’s Class 1A state championship game. The 6-foot-2, 170-pound Fay tossed a five-hitter with four strikeouts, no walks and one earned run.

Putnam County (24-10) pounded out four hits in its big sixth inning, including consecutive run-scoring hits by third baseman Justin Pettit, DH Austin Pletsch and catcher Christian Carboni. Pletsch’s blow was a double, Salt Fork’s only extra-base hit of the day.

Salt Fork took a 1-0 lead in the second when junior shortstop Cole Taylor laced a leadoff triple and scored on Max Stutsman’s sacrifice fly. The one run looked like it would stand up with Learnard on the mound. The left-hander pitched 5.2 innings, yielding seven hits and three earned runs in the loss.

Putnam County will play for its first state championship against the winner of Shawnee and Gibault.