May 18, 2026 | WALLS 102 - Part 2

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Mendota girls soccer wins regional opener: Monday’s NewsTribune roundup

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Mendota girls soccer wins regional opener: Monday’s NewsTribune roundup

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Mendota girls soccer wins regional opener: Monday’s NewsTribune roundup

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Ottawa comes back to top Kaneland 6-4, share I-8 title

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The Ottawa baseball team scored four runs in the sixth – the big blow a two-run double by Adam Swanson – to defeat Kaneland 6-4 in the Interstate 8 Conference contest at King Field on Monday. With

Ottawa comes back to top Kaneland 6-4, share I-8 title

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Ottawa comes back to top Kaneland 6-4, share I-8 title

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Ottawa comes back to top Kaneland 6-4, share I-8 title

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Ottawa comes back to top Kaneland 6-4, share I-8 title

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Ottawa comes back to top Kaneland 6-4, share I-8 title

Ottawa senior Adam Swanson was truly in his element as he walked to the plate at King Field in the sixth inning of Monday’s Interstate 8 Conference game against Kaneland that was resumed after a suspension earlier this season.Swanson stepped into the batter’s box with the bases loaded, one out and the Pirates trailing by two.Like he has multiple times already this season, Swanson came through.Swanson lined a ball that one-hopped the centerfield fence to drive in two and tie the game before a Knights’ infield error allowed the winning runs to score in Ottawa’s 6-4 victory and clinch a tie for the conference championship with Kaneland.It’s Ottawa’s first conference title since 2013.It was the sixth straight win for Ottawa (16-11-1, 10-5), while Kaneland (14-12-1, 10-5) had a five-game winning streak snapped.“Oh yes, that’s my moment, Swanson said. ”I live for those situations."With Ottawa trailing 4-2, Lucas Farabaugh led off the inning with a single off Kanon Baxley, Alexio Fernandez doubled and Rory Moore walked. Then after reliver Hayden Foster picked up a strikeout, Swanson tied the game. Foster then induced a grounder back to the mound for the second out before Colt Bryson’s grounder was misplayed to allow Moore and Swanson to score.“The guys in front of me all did their job to put me in that spot,” Swanson said. “Walking up to the plate all that I was thinking was ‘Hit the ball hard somewhere on a line.’ It was a first-pitch breaking ball that I stayed back on.”Swanson (win, 5⅔ IP, 8 H 4 ER, 1 BB, 5 K), who started the resumption, recorded the final out via strikeout with Kaneland runners on first and second.“Adam just comes through in those spots,” Ottawa coach Levi Ericson said. “He has excelled in those moments whole career here, but he’s been unbelievable this season. He wants to be in the big situations, and so do we because we know he’s going to come through.”“I didn’t have my best stuff today but you have to find a way,” Swanson said. “I felt good in my warmup, had good velocity, but everything was in the middle of the plate. When that’s happening you just have to trust you defense which is what I did.”Kaneland tied the game at 2-2 in the third as Joey Pozzi and Caleb Cornell singled to start the inning. Baxley, who finished 4 for 4, singled in Pozzi while Cornell scored on a double play.The Knights took the lead in the fifth on an RBI double by Aidan Whildin and a run-scoring ground out by Brady Alstott.Baxley (4 IP, 3 H, 3 ER, 3 BB, 5 K) suffered the loss. “This was a really competitive game, and our guys really came out ready to go and battled all the way,“ Kaneland coach Brian Aversa said. ”We were able to get the two runs back right away tie it up and then took the lead. “Ottawa is a very hot team right now, Swanson is one the better pitchers in our conference, so we knew this would be a really good challenge. In the sixth they were able to get some guys on base, Swanson came up with a big hit and then we just didn’t make a play defensively. That said I was proud of the fact that we found a way to get the tying run to the plate in the seventh.”Ericson said he couldn’t be happier for his players.“After we got swept by Morris (in late April), the last two games on errors late, we were 1-4 in conference play,” Ericson said. “We then turned around our next game and got 10-runned at Limestone in our worst game of the season.“We had the challenge talk. ‘Who do you guys want to be?’ Since then, we are 11-2 overall and put ourselves in the position we were in today. It’s a credit to these kids for all we’ve accomplished so far.“Kaneland came out today and punched us in the mouth by taking the 4-2 lead, but this team just refuses to give in.”Both teams are back in action Tuesday as Kaneland hosts Crystal Lake South and Ottawa entertains rival Streator.

Ottawa comes back to top Kaneland 6-4, share I-8 title

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