Rock Falls trio qualifies for state: Wednesday’s Sauk Valley roundup

Girls track & field

Rock Falls nabs three qualifiers: The Rockets had three girls punch tickets to state on their home track as Ariel Hernandez qualified for state in the 3,200, Kayla Hackbarth hit the state qualifying mark in the discus and Ryleigh Eriks qualified the pole vault. The Rockets were ninth at the meet.

Hackbarth threw a season-best 33.46 meters to take third while Eriks cleared 2.97 meters to qualify. Eriks was sixth as seven pole vaulters cleared 2.97.

Hernandez took second in the race to qualify.

She said it meant a lot to qualify after being unsure if she would be able to.

“This season was a really rough season for me. I had problems with my diet and I didn’t really realize it,” she said. “It took a couple weeks of extreme fixes to get to this point, so I’m really happy.”

Hernandez said she had to drop some weight this season, but came through in the end.

“It’s pretty special for me to do it at our home sectional,” she said.

Baseball

Rock Falls 6, Fulton 2: Austin Castaneda had a double and two RBIs in the Rockets’ road win. RF pulled away late after trailing 2-0 after four innings. Ethan Matthews got the win after pitching 5 1/3 innings with six strikeouts.

Erie-Prophetstown 3, Newman 2: E-P’s Parker Rangel was 3 for 3 with two doubles and two RBIs in the home win. Ashton Miner led the Comets with two hits and two RBIs.

Sterling 8, Geneseo 1: Eli Penne pitched a complete game with three strikeouts, one walk, five hits and one earned run allowed. Lincoln Davis tripled and led Sterling with two RBIs.

Morrison 2, Amboy 1: Morrison’s Carson White pitched a complete game in the win with four strikeouts as the Mustangs won the NUIC South Conference title at 8-2. He was also 2 for 2 with a double at the plate.

Softball

Morrison 12, Amboy 2 (5 inn.): Allie Anderson and Ava Duncan each had three RBIs as the Fillies finished 10-0 in the NUIC South. Ava Duncan pitched all five innings with nine strikeouts and one earned run allowed.

Sterling 14, Orion 5: Sterling smacked four home runs in the road win as Layla Wright (four RBIs), Mya Lira (three walks), Lily Martinez (three RBIs) and Rosie Cantu (two RBIs) all went deep for the Warriors. Wright also got the win in the circle.