The high school baseball season keeps pushing on in and around Monroe County, featuring highs and lows that come with the daily grind of a sports season. 

Columbia (9-7) has been trending up of late, winning five of six recent contests.

On Monday, the Eagles won convincingly at home over Marquette, 14-1. Columbia pounded out 15 total hits for winning pitcher Sam Donald, who was solid over five innings. Brody Landgraf went 2-for-4 with a grand slam, and Eagles teammate Cash Bailey also contributed two hits with a homer. Mason Voegele went 3-for-4 with a triple and three runs, and Micah James also got in on the fun by going 2-for-3 with three RBIs.

On Tuesday, it was a 17-1 win over Wood River.

On Friday, Columbia posted an impressive 2-0 victory over Belleville East. Brady Hemminghaus struck out seven over four and one-third shutout innings and was helped by RBIs from both James and Landgraf.

This past Thursday, the Eagles won 14-4 over Wesclin. Landgraf and James came through again, both going 3-for-3 with a pair of RBIs. Ayden Sepich was the winning pitcher on this day, striking out seven in four innings. 

Last Wednesday, Columbia dropped a 2-1 contest to Roxana. No runs were scored in this game after the second inning. Landgraf had an RBI double, and Connor Basinski pitched well for the Eagles in defeat.

Last Tuesday, the Eagles bested Roxana in eight innings, 7-1. Columbia scored six runs in the extra frame. Logan Bosch went 3-for-4 with an RBI, Sully Bonaldi collected two hits, and Donald pitched six solid innings. 

Columbia plays Wednesday at O’Fallon, hosts Wood River on Thursday, and then hosts Breese Central on Tuesday. 

Bailey has four homers to lead the Eagles, who are led in batting average by James at .465 with nine runs. 

Waterloo (10-5) has run into some trouble of late.

On Monday, it was a 15-5 beating at the hands of Mississippi Valley Conference foe Triad. Rowan Schilling went 2-for-2 with an RBI for the Bulldogs.

On Tuesday, the Bulldogs were bolstered by a five-run fourth inning in a 7-3 win over Mt. Vernon.

This past Thursday, Waterloo lost 15-9 at Marion. Trey Conrod went 2-for-4 with a home run, and Max Oswald drove in two runs in a losing effort.

Last Wednesday, the Bulldogs picked up a 6-4 conference win over Mascoutah. A four run fourth inning catapulted Waterloo to victory. Conrad Lindhorst went the distance on the mound, allowing just three hits while striking out five. Chaten Kirchner went 3-for-4 with two RBIs, Caleb Papenberg went 1-for-3 with three RBIs, and Patrick O’Donnell contributed two hits.

Waterloo plays Wednesday at Triad, then plays Friday against Collinsville at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville. Waterloo plays Monday at Highland.

Lindhorst is the leading hitter this spring for the ‘Dogs at .394 with 13 RBIs. O’Donnell is hitting .388 with four home runs, 14 RBIs, 17 runs and 11 stolen bases. 

Gibault (4-11) posted a 9-8 win over a tough Red Bud squad on Thursday. Freshman pitcher Dante Gianino struck out seven over four innings for the victory, with Carson Timmons going three innings for the save. Tyler Frierdich went 3-for-4 with a triple, and Peyton Schaefer went 2-for-4 with three RBIs for the Hawks. Robert Pierpoint, Kole Schilling and Michael Wessel all added two hits apiece.

Gibault plays Wednesday at Trico, hosts Teutopolis and Freeburg in a Saturday doubleheader, and then hosts Valmeyer on Monday.

Wessel leads the Hawks in hitting at .333 with 12 RBIs and a dozen runs. 

Schaefer is the top pitcher with a 3.98 ERA in just under 20 innings. 

Valmeyer (6-11) lost 4-3 to New Athens in eight innings on Thursday. The Pirates rallied to tie the game in the bottom of the seventh inning, only to see New Athens win it in the top half of the extra frame. Chase Snyder went 2-for-3 with a home run. Luke Blackwell went 2-for-3 with an RBI. 

Last Tuesday, Valmeyer lost 7-3 to New Athens. Blackwell went 2-for-2 with a homer and Evan Hill contributed a double with two RBIs.

The Pirates played Tuesday at Marissa, falling 14-6. Marissa plated 12 runs in the final two innings.

Valmeyer plays Wednesday at Valley Park, hosts Marissa on Thursday, plays Friday at Chester, hosts Wesclin on Saturday, plays Monday at Gibault and then travels Tuesday at Dupo. 

Blackwell leads the Pirates in hitting at .489 with three homers, eight doubles, 11 RBIs and 21 runs. Snyder is hitting .415 with 12 RBIs.

Tallen Jakimauskas is the top pitcher for the Pirates with a 2.21 ERA.

Dupo (2-10) lost 6-2 to Steeleville on Thursday. Brady Portell had a hit and RBI for the Tigers.

Last Tuesday, it was a 4-2 loss to Steeleville. Thinh Staggs went 2-for-2 with an RBI and Deegan Prater struck out nine over six innings. 

Dupo lost 13-1 to New Athens on Tuesday, hosts Wesclin on Wednesday, hosts New Athens on Thursday and hosts Valmeyer on Tuesday. 

Prater leads the Tigers in hitting at .452, including a .526 on base percentage. He has nine runs and 12 RBIs.

Teegan Hargrove is Dupo’s top pitcher with a 2.83 ERA.