Eastern Illinois baseball sophomore right-handed pitcher Bryce Riggs swings a hammer down while surrounding by his cheering teamates during EIU’s 3-1 win over Lindenwood in the elimination semifinal of the Ohio Valley Conference tournament at Mtn Dew Park in Marion, Illinois.

After serving as Eastern baseball’s closer, long-reliever and spot-starter this season, head coach Jason Anderson put a firm label on sophomore right-hander Bryce Riggs’s role: game winner.

Riggs twirled a complete game, 10 strikeout gem against Lindenwood in the elimination semifinals of the Ohio Valley Conference tournament Friday evening at Mtn Dew Park in Marion, leading Eastern to a 3-1 win and helping the Panthers advance to the championship round.

“He’ll take the ball in any situation, and that’s why we’ve moved him around,” Anderson said. “As I saw things lining up with the tournament, I had him in mind for this game and he was great. He was spectacular”

Riggs had thrown seven no-hit innings before Lindenwood senior right fielder Filip Sarota broke it up with a leadoff infield single.

He hit a ball that took Eastern senior shortstop Peyton Wilson deep into the hole and his bounce throw got passed senior first baseman Tyler Castro.

“I did know [about the no-hitter], but I didn’t want to think about it,” Riggs said about him pitching at the start of the eighth inning.

It marks the first time Eastern has won a game in which its starter pitched a complete game since Ky Matthews-Hampton tossed a complete game shutout against UT Martin on April 23, 2021.

“[Starting in the OVC tournament] wasn’t something that he was daunted by or afraid of,” pitching coach Max Feske said. “There was nothing timid. He made pitches all night and mixed really well.”

Riggs worked in his fastball, which had a top velocity of 88 mph, with a curveball to right-handed hitters and a looping changeup to left-handed hitters and threw his slider frequently early in the game.

The Lions, who had seven hits combined between both semifinal games, struggled to get the barrel on any of Riggs’s pitches and it took until the ninth for their first extra base hit and run scored.

“It was just really fun to catch,” junior catcher Zak Goodwin said. “I mean, I didn’t have to do too much work when he’s just hitting all of his spots.”

Riggs threw 123 pitches across his nine innings of work, allowing Eastern to save its bullpen for the championship round on Saturday.

“That was huge,” Goodwin said. “He probably saved us four arms.”

The Panther offense manufactured its three runs, scoring one in the second, third and fifth innings respectively. Neither team got a single hit with runners on base, with both of Eastern’s RBIs coming on sacrifices.

“We can set the table, but we got to bang in some RBIs,” Anderson said. “I hope it all evens out to where tomorrow, we come out swinging.”

Eastern had more success with the sacrifice bunt than it did in both of Thursday’s games. The Panthers had two successful sacrifice bunts, including one in the fifth inning by Goodwin that scored the runner at third.

“We just kind of stuck our nose down and we needed to take some walks and get some bunts down,” Goodwin said. “Honestly, I’m not swinging it hot right now so when I got the call that I needed to get the bunt down I was like ‘let’s do it.’”

First pitch in Saturday’s championship game is set for noon. Eastern must win to force a winner-take all championship game against Little Rock.

Gabe Newman can be reached at 581-2812 or at ghnewman@eiu.edu.

By Catherine MacKenzie (23/05/2025)

Above: Bayern Munich win the inaugural World Sevens. Photo: FCBfrauen on X.

The inaugural World Sevens tournament taking place in Portugal this week has been about fun first-and-foremost. Teams have spent longer working out their ‘introduction acts’ than they have on tactics and had a rare opportunity to network with each other in a neutral, social environment.

There have been social media posts from clubs showing their players enjoying the sunshine whilst sightseeing; playing at the beach; watching other sports like beach volleyball and eating ice creams.

The tournament initially caused raised eyebrows across the women’s game for its scheduling – being mere weeks away from a major tournament for many of the players involved – but instead of a tough tournament leading to injuries and exhaustion, it became a medium for teams to have a team-building holiday akin to some kind of multi-organisation voluntary corporate retreat.

The atmosphere around the stadium aided this. A DJ was playing music permanently – even throughout games – and players sat around the pitch in directors’ chairs to watch each other’s games. The player of the match trophy was a branded water bottle, and the stands were very close to the pitch, meaning fans were a key part of the game.

The format prompted fun as well – ‘roll-on-roll-off’ substitutions caused frequent occasions where commentators would get player names mixed up (particularly Bayern Munich’s goalkeepers Mala Grohs and Ena Mahmutovic, who frequently switched at half-time).

Beyond that, the structure of the game itself created excitement – a small pitch meant teams were initially missing the pitch completely with their corners, and the short halves of only fifteen minutes meant there was little time to gain momentum.

The opening games were more cautious as teams figured out what the format felt like. Some teams (like Manchester City) raced out of the gates and seemed to adapt to the new surroundings with ease. Once teams clocked on to the lack of offside rule and smaller spaces to work with, the chains were off, and the games became more stretched – exemplified by a more settled Ajax taking Manchester City to penalties.

Overall, the teams who performed the best also seemed to have the most fun. The two teams who reached the final – Manchester United and Bayern Munich – both have an ethos of togetherness at their core, which made them naturally good competitors in the seven-a-side format.

They knew how to work together closely; communicated clearly and enjoyed it when their teammates took the risks that are paramount in these kinds of games, even if the risks did not pay off.

Ahead of a massive summer with a serious major tournament, most discussions are inevitably around team selections and tactics. Many players will be feeling immense pressure at this point – England feeling the pressure of trying to retain a major trophy, Spain wanting to add to their World Cup win in the face of off-pitch tribulations.

At the end of the tournament, Manchester United and champions Bayern Munich celebrated together on the pitch – there was a conga line and hugs between the sides – in a scene emblematic of the three days as a whole.

Instead of creating a greater burden on players by forcing additional games before a busy summer, the World Sevens has provided a welcome reprieve for both players and fans, reminding us all that at its heart, football is about fun.

Standout teams

The universal consensus seems to be that tournament winners Bayern Munich – nicknamed ‘Vibes FC’ on social media – have been the standout team of the tournament, and for good reason. They scored the most goals – three or more in every game except the final – and looked like they had the most fun doing so. It is a fitting end to Alexander Straus’ tenure as manager to win a tournament’s inaugural trophy. Their ‘introductions’ were also top-line, such as creating a bicycle illusion and a rock band.

Their fellow finalists Manchester United also provided entertainment – from cartwheels during introductions to captain and centre-back Maya Le Tissier scoring a standout goal. On the pitch, United had perhaps the most to lose from this tournament.

Manager Marc Skinner has been forthright with his comments that United are short of funds and winnings would help them build a team capable of competing in the Champions League next year. It is telling that despite this pressure, the team still managed to play with such joy and freedom.

Less prolific in terms of goal-scoring but with some impressive performances, Roma were also a standout team. Their game against Benfica was particularly fun to watch, especially the final five minutes (including three goals).

Standout players

Young Ajax and USWNT midfielder Lily Yohannes scored a goal in every game and caused defences trouble with her technical ability. Yet to celebrate her 18^th birthday, the midfielder has already scored for the senior USWNT, and it is unlikely that Ajax will be able to hold on to her for much longer.

United youngster Simi Awujo was also on good goalscoring form throughout the tournament – including finding the top corner in the final against Bayern Munich. Lacking gametime in the WSL, she is likely an important asset for a United who are heading into the Champions League next year.

A little older but no less impressive, Bayern Munich’s 30-year old Serbian midfielder Jovana Damnjanovic ran riot and seemed to want to play every role on the pitch. One second, she was backing up her goalkeeper with an important clearance. Seconds she was setting up a goal at the other end. Her work rate was stellar and her relationships with her team-mates clear to see.

The next World Sevens is due to take place this autumn in the United States, comprising of eight NWSL teams.

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HERMISTON, Ore. – Mt. Spokane’s girls and boys track and field teams captured District 6 3A championships Friday.

Mt. Spokane’s girls dominated, posting 164 points. Walla Walla (114) finished a distant second.

The Wildcats boys finished with 122 points, 18 ahead of host Hermiston.

In 4A, Richland’s girls won with 136 points, followed by Kamiakin (113) and Gonzaga Prep (99). Kamiakin’s boys won with 150 and Mead was second (136).

Leading the Mt. Spokane girls was sophomore Laine Gardner, who won the 200 meters in 24.60 seconds. She lowered her school record by one-hundredth of a second.

Gardner teamed with Kayli Eastham, Makenna Ritter and Kira Ritter to win the 4×400 relay (3:52.67).

Eastham won the 300 hurdles (45.94).

Kade Brownell and Aidan Grenier led Mt. Spokane’s boys. Brownell prevailed in a closely contested 1,600 (4:10.73). Grenier broke his school record in the 300 hurdles, winning in 38.35 and topping his previous best (38.88).

Other 3A area winners Friday were Cheney’s Alma Smith in the pole vault (14 feet, 8 inches) and the Cheney boys 4×400 relay. Jason Dodge, Mason Stinson, Reylan Horntvedt and Cameron Johnson combined to win in a season-best 3:20.86.

Smith took three attempts at 15-1, hoping to set a school record. The record is 15-0.

There were three area winners in 4A: Gonzaga Prep’s Feso Ogbozor in triple jump (46-1¾); Mead’s Simon Rosselli in discus (197-11); and Mead’s Mercedes Gilroy in javelin (140-1), a personal best by nearly 7 feet.

The top two finishers in each event in 4A advance to state. The top three finishers in each event in 3A head to state.

State will run Thursday through next Saturday at Mount Tahoma High School in Tacoma.

Christina Borgmann and Colby Cronk were named the Female and Male Athletes of the Year, respectively, at the Flagler Palm Coast Athletic Awards Show on May 20 at the Fitzgerald Performing Arts Center.

The two seniors were also the Bulldogs’ Athletes of the Year in 2024. They both won state championships for the second year in a row. Borgmann defended her state wrestling title, and Cronk repeated as Class 4A state shot put champ.

Cronk also set the FPC football team’s career sacks record. He attended the awards show remotely from North Carolina State University where he has begun his first college semester and is training for his freshman football season. The defensive end is FPC’s first football player to sign with a power-five football conference directly out of high school.

Borgmann helped lead the Bulldogs to the state girls wrestling championship. They won FPC’s Team of the Year Award. Borgmann and Kendall Bibla each won a state title for the second time, while five others on the team placed in the top five: Ana Vilar (second); Joslyn Johnson, Mariah Mills and Tiana Fries (third); and Alexa Calidonio (fifth).

Wrestling coach David Bossardet, who has stepped down after moving into the district office as Flagler Schools’ safety specialist, won the Coach of the Year Award.

Three-sport athlete Corinthians “RJ” Watson won the Spirit of Flagler Award, representing the embodiment of what it means to be a Bulldog on and off the field. Watson was on the football, basketball and track and field teams. He placed eighth in triple jump at the Class 4A track and field championships. Watson plans to play football this fall at St. Thomas University in Miami.

Here are the Principal Award winners for each sport. The winners were recognized for their sportsmanship, dedication, spirit and achievement:

Athletic Training: Chloe Wallace

Baseball: Logan Shudy

Boys Basketball: Roman Caliendo

Girls Basketball: Alexandra Perez

Beach Volleyball: Morghan Mackey

Boys Bowling: Sean Bibby

Girls Bowling: Brooke Bokanoski

Competitive Cheerleading: Kayleigh Phillips

Boys Cross Country: Ryan Gilvary

Girls Cross Country: Cassidy DeYoung

Flag Football: Giavanna Piazza

Football: Mikhail Zysek

Boys Golf: Adam Kleinfelder

Girls Golf: Madison Heck

Boys Lacrosse: Tamajah Pinnock

Girls Lacrosse: Carly Griffin

Boys Soccer: Aron Binkley

Girls Soccer: Eva Sites

Softball: Sadie Schell

Boys Swimming: Loris Eolyan

Girls Swimming: Emma Gilbert

Boys Tennis: Joshua Thorpe

Girls Tennis: Tatiana Leontyeva

Boys Track and Field: Tanner Cauley Bennett

Girls Track and Field: Maya Tyson

Girls Volleyball: Dyllis Mballesube

Boys Weightlifting: Bobby Branton

Girls Weightlifting: Madeline Brinker

Boys Wrestling: Ronden Ricks

Girls Wrestling: Alisha Vilar

Bernadeth Pons (left) and Sisi Rondina (right). | PNVF photo

CEBU CITY, Philippines — Cebuana volleyball star Sisi Rondina and her partner Bernadeth Pons, two of the most prominent names in Philippine beach volleyball, will lead the charge for Alas Pilipinas in the one-day Philippine National Volleyball Federation (PNVF) Beach Volleyball National Open, currently underway this weekend at the Nuvali Sand Courts in Santa Rosa, Laguna.

Fresh off a strong quarterfinal finish in the Volleyball World Beach Pro Tour Futures last month at the same venue, Rondina and Pons are aiming to bounce back stronger as they serve as the top contenders in a field of national and collegiate standouts.

Their experience and chemistry will be key as they spearhead one of four women’s pairs representing Alas Pilipinas in the tournament organized by Beach Volleyball Republic (BVR).

READ: Rondina vows stronger comeback after promising quarterfinal finish

The other teams include seasoned tandems Jenny Gaviola and Alexa Polidario, Sofiah Pagara and Khy Progella, and Sunny Villapando and Dij Rodriguez.

Pagara and Progella are no strangers to the Nuvali sand, having captured gold during the PNVF Beach Volleyball Invitational last December.

Buytrago, Varga compete with different pairs

On the other hand, two other Cebuanos, Rancel Varga and James Buytrago—longtime partners on the sand—will compete with different teammates. Varga will pair with Ronniel Rosales, while Buytrago will team up with Jude Garcia.

The other pairs in the men’s division are Lerry Francisco and Jaron Raquinton, and Ranran Abdilla and Edwin Tolentino.

The tournament will also feature UAAP standouts in both the high school and collegiate divisions. /clorenciana

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