DISTRICT CHAMPS: ST. VINCENT, LEOPOLD CLAIM 1A DISTRICT CHAMPIONSHIPS

St. Vincent and Leopold both won 1A district baseball championships Thursday behind a pair of stellar pitching performances.

St. Vincent's Tyler Wengert won a pitching duel with Advance's Garrett Broshuis as the third-seeded Indians edged the top-seeded Hornets 3-2 in the District 2 final.

In the District 3 title game in Annapolis, top-seeded Leopold saw Jason Van de Ven strike out 11 batters in an 8-4 victory over No. 2 seed Kingston.

St. Vincent will be the host for next Thursday's sectional contest against District 1 winner (Gideon or Holcomb). The game will be held at 4:30 p.m. at Perryville City Park.

Leopold, which won its first district baseball title, will go on the road to face District 4 winner Winona on Thursday.

St. Vincent 3, Advance 1

ORAN -- The Indians won despite just two hits off Broshuis, the Hornet ace headed to Missouri on a baseball scholarship.

Both of St. Vincent's hits came in a three-run first. Gabe Hotop had the big blow, a two run single. Cory Strattman also singled in the inning.

Advance countered with a pair of solo home runs off Wengert, who allowed just four hits, struck out 12 and walked one. Dan Turner had a solo home run in the bottom of the fourth and Broshuis led off the seventh with a home run.

St. Vincent (12-13) escaped with the win as Wengert retired the next two batters on flyballs and struck out the game's final batter.

St. Vincent, which blanked Oran in the semifinals, has won six games in a row.

Leopold 8, Kingston 4

ANNAPOLIS -- Leopold (11-6) utilized clutch hitting with a pair of big two-out hits.

Garan Engelen had a two-out, two-run double in a three-run first inning and Adam Landewee blasted a two-out, three-run homer in a five-run fifth.

Van de Ven, who walked just one and allowed eight hits, helped himself at the plate with a 4-for-4 performance. Ashton James added a pair of hits, including a double. The Wildcats had 11 hits overall.

Kingston broke out front with a run in the top of the first, but Leopold countered with three runs in the home half. Kingston tied the game 3-3 in the third, but Leopold answered with five runs for an 8-3 lead. Kingston closed the scoring with a run in the fifth.

"Kingston was a good team," said Leopold coach Ted LeGrand. "They came to play and never did give up."