Fulton baseball wins first sectional title since 2015

Braedon Meyers and Fulton held off River Ridge/Scales Mound 3-2 to win the Class 1A Lena-Winslow Sectional title Saturday afternoon.

It was the Steamers’ first sectional title since 2015, the same year they finished third at state.

Meyers got the win after pitching six innings, allowing only one earned run on four hits with three strikeouts and two walks. Dom Kramer got the save after holding the Wildcats to one unearned run in the seventh.

Meyers also had two hits. His RBI single in the top of the seventh turned out to be huge in the win.

Fulton coach Brent Dykstra said it was a ‘gritty’ game from both sides. The Wildcats came in as a No. 8 seed after upsetting three straight higher seeds after winning a play-in game.

“We had to earn that win,” Dykstra said. “The last couple games we jumped on teams very early. This time, we didn’t have that.

“That insurance run was a big deal. Just a great accomplishment for a lot of hardworking, great kids.”

The Wildcats led 1-0 after three innings before Fulton scored on an error on a Kramer fly ball.

Sam Rife pitched a complete game for the Wildcats, allowing two earned runs on four hits with four strikeouts and two walks.

Fulton’s Jacob Huisenga scored on a wild pitch in the sixth. Jacob Voss singled and Evan Folk doubled.

The first two Wildcats reached in the bottom of the seventh before Kramer got a strikeout, coaxed a run-scoring groundout after a passed ball and got a flyout to end it.

Fulton advances to face Ottawa Marquette in Monday’s Class 1A DeKalb Supersectional at 4:30 at Northern Illinois University’s Ralph McKinzie Field.

– Earleen Hinton contributed to this report

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The Steamers celebrate in centerfield after making the last out against River Ridge/Scales Mound's to win the 1A Lena-Winslow Sectional 3-2 on Saturday, May 31, 2025. (Earleen Hinton)