Crete-Monee Answers Late Rally to Edge Bloom 4-3

The Crete-Monee varsity baseball team showcased its resilience on Monday afternoon, fending off a late comeback attempt by visiting Bloom to secure a tight 4-3 conference victory on their home diamond.

In a game where hits were at a premium, Crete-Monee relied heavily on aggressive baserunning, timely execution, and a dominant collective effort from its pitching staff to manufacture the win. Both squads managed just four hits on the afternoon, but the host Warriors capitalized on their speed, racking up six stolen bases to constantly pressure the Bloom defense.

Crete-Monee set the tone early, pushing two runs across in the bottom of the first inning to take immediate control. After Bloom scratched a run across in the top of the third to cut the deficit in half, the Warriors immediately responded in the bottom of the frame, restoring their two-run advantage at 3-1.

Junior starting pitcher Keegan Quaderer was in complete command for the majority of the contest. Quaderer carved up the Bloom lineup over 5.2 innings of work, racking up nine strikeouts and scattering just four hits. In addition to his brilliance on the mound, Quaderer aided his own cause at the plate by driving in a pair of crucial runs.

However, Bloom refused to go quietly. The visitors finally chased Quaderer in the top of the sixth inning, manufacturing two runs to erase the deficit and tie the game at 3-3. Senior Dylan Dee was summoned from the bullpen and successfully recorded the final out of the frame, halting Bloom’s momentum and stranding the go-ahead run.

The Warriors wasted no time answering back. In the bottom of the sixth, Crete-Monee pushed the decisive run across the plate to retake a 4-3 lead. Senior AJ Monegan served as the offensive catalyst throughout the game, finishing a perfect 2-for-2 at the plate with two runs scored and two stolen bases. Senior Keyshon James also delivered a productive afternoon, contributing a hit, an RBI, a run scored, and a stolen base. Sophomore Tyler Burnett was a menace on the basepaths, adding two steals of his own.

Entrusted with a one-run lead in the top of the seventh, senior Elijah Clemons slammed the door. Clemons tossed a flawless, 1-2-3 inning—striking out two of the four batters he faced—to earn the save and seal the victory. Dee was credited with the win in relief.

Game Summary

Score by Quarters

(Note: Scored by Innings)
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | R | H | E |
| :— | :— | :— | :— | :— | :— | :— | :— | :— | :— | :— |
| Bloom | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 4 | 1 |
| Crete-Monee | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | – | 4 | 4 | 1 |

Scoring Drives

(Note: Scoring by Innings)

• 1st Inning

  • Crete-Monee: Plated 2 runs to take an early lead.

• 3rd Inning

  • Bloom: Scratched across 1 run to cut the deficit to 2-1.

  • Crete-Monee: Answered with 1 run to re-establish a 3-1 advantage.

• 6th Inning

  • Bloom: Rallied for 2 runs to tie the game at 3-3.

  • Crete-Monee: Manufactured 1 run in the bottom half of the frame to retake the lead for good.

Individual Statistics

BATTING:

• Bloom: Stats not provided. (Team Totals: 4 Hits).

• Crete-Monee: AJ Monegan 2-3 (2 R, 2 SB); Keyshon James 1-3 (1 RBI, 1 R, 1 SB); Tyler Burnett 1-3 (2 SB); Keegan Quaderer 0-3 (2 RBI); Garrett Jemilo 0-1 (2 BB); Walter Johnson (1 R, 1 SB). Team LOB: 3.

PITCHING:

• Bloom: Stats not provided. (Team Totals: 6.0 IP, 4 H, 4 R, 3 BB, 7 K).

• Crete-Monee: Keegan Quaderer – 5.2 IP, 4 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 3 BB, 9 K; Dylan Dee (W) – 0.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 0 K; Elijah Clemons (SV) – 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 2 K.

FIELDING:

• Bloom: 1 Error.

• Crete-Monee: 1 Error (Wyatt Love).