***Kendall Vincent is a participant of The Kewanee Voice Student Journalism Program, funded by the Harry Anderson Memorial Trust.
The Annawan/Wethersfield varsity Titans completed a dominant doubleheader sweep over ROWVA/Williamsfield on Friday, winning the opener 11-1 behind Nic Thurston’s six-RBI performance and rallying late in Game 2 for a 7-4 victory.
Game 1: Thurston drives In six
Nic Thurston put on a show in the first game, going 3-for-3 with six RBIs to lead the Titans to an 11-1 rout. He plated runs with a two-run single in the third, a two-run triple in the fourth, and a two-run single in the fifth.
The Titans blew the game open with a seven-run fourth inning. The offensive surge included RBIs from Kellan Keane, Zeb Rashid, Brody Childs, Aaden Verstraete, and a fielder’s choice by Maddux Heitzler, in addition to Thurston’s key triple.
ROWVA/Williamsfield briefly led 1-0 in the first after Zander Vest walked in a run, but Thurston’s RBI single in the third gave the Titans a lead they wouldn’t relinquish.
Koeyn DeClercq earned the win on the mound, throwing five dominant innings with nine strikeouts, one hit allowed, and just one earned run. The Titans were aggressive on the base paths, racking up seven stolen bases, and error-free in the field with Thurston leading the defense with nine chances.
Game 2: Titans rally for 7-4 win
The Titans had to fight harder in Game 2 but came through in the clutch to claim a 7-4 victory. After falling behind 4-3 in the top of the sixth, A/W responded in the bottom half with three runs to retake the lead.
Devon Horrie started the rally with an RBI single, followed by a go-ahead double from DeClercq and a bases-loaded walk drawn by Verstraete. DeClercq led the offense, going 2-for-3 with three RBIs, while Brody Childs also notched two hits.
Zeb Rashid started on the mound, striking out nine over 5.2 innings, despite issuing seven walks. Maddux Heitzler came in to close it out. The Titans played flawless defense once again, with Thurston tallying 10 fielding chances.
ROWVA/Williamsfield was led by Mason Sornberger, who went 1-for-1 with two RBIs and two stolen bases. Preston Schroeder and Jaxson Strom also added hits, and the Cougars drew eight walks but couldn’t overcome the Titans’ sixth-inning surge.
