EASLEY, S.C. — DuBois and Central Region champ Burbank, Illinois squared off in the opening game of the Senior League Baseball World Series Saturday morning in South Carolina, and Illinois seized control with a huge top of the fourth inning on its way to a 9-0 victory.

The game was a true pitcher’s duel outside of that top of the fourth, which saw Illinois break open a scoreless game with seven runs on five hits and two DuBois errors. Those proved to be the only runs of the game until the Central champs scored two more on a two-out error in the seventh to set the eventual final.

Miscues hurt the East Region champs on the day, as DuBois committed four errors, while Illinois played error-error. Illinois only outhit DuBois, 10-7, despite the lopsided final score — but those four errors led to only one of Illinois’ nine runs being earned.

And unlike Illinois, DuBois also struggled to come up with the big hit when it had runners on base. The East Region champs had five of their seven hits between the fourth and sixth innings but came up empty in both frames as four Illinois pitchers combined to throw a shutout.

Nate Witherite led the DuBois attack, going 2-for-3. Wes Clyde and Bryson Kail each added doubles in the game, with Evan Burton collecting DuBois’ other hit.

The loss dropped DuBois in to the loser’s bracket but actually earned the East champs a day off in the six-team U.S. Pool at the World Series. There also is a six-team International Pool, with the winners of both eventually playing for the World Series title next Saturday (Aug. 2).

DuBois returns to action Monday at 4 p.m. in an elimination contest against the loser of Sunday night’s winner’s bracket game that pits Southeast champ Irmo, S.C. against either California (West Region) or Easley, S.C. (Host team).

As for Saturday’s World Series opener, it started as a pitcher’s duel between Burton and Illinois’ Evan Panther.

Burton allowed four runners, three on hits, in the first three innings while keeping the Central region champs scoreless.

Panther reached on an infield single to lead off the game but was promptly thrown out trying to steal second by DuBois catcher Isaac Dennison. Teammate David Campbell later singled to center with two outs in the first but was stranded.

Illinois’ Jacob Hite singled with one in the second but never left first base, while Panther was hit by a pitch in his second at-bat in the third. he too never left first as Burton did a nice job shutting down any thoughts of an Illinois rally in the first three innings.

Meanwhile, Panther was a little sharper in those first three frames.

He retired the side in order in the first, then stranded Dennison after a two-out single in the second. DuBois’ Wes Clyde ripped a two-out double in the bottom of the third, but Panther promptly struck out Jack Statler to end the inning.

Things changed in the fourth though, as Illinois put together its huge seven-run rally on five hits and two errors to grab control of the game.

Burton got a flyout to start the fourth, then Jake Edlund reached on an error y second baseman Statler that helped open the flood gate.

Edlund quickly stole second and scored on a Jacob Hite double, while Hite un turn came home on a Jack Eskra single. A walk and hit batsman loaded the bases with one out and turned over the Illinois lineup. Hite finished 3-for-4 with the double. RBI and two runs scored.

Panther then plated another run on fielder’s choice that should have ended the inning with Illinois up just 1-0.

Instead, it was 3-0 with only two outs and Illinois proceeded to score four more runs on a Ryan Lotus two-run single and back-to-back RBI doubles by Campbell and Edgar Villanueva. Campbell was 2-for-4 on the day.

DuBois made a pitching change at that point and turned to Brody Knouse, who got his team out of the inning on just two pitches by getting Edlund to fly out to center.

DuBois tried to answer right back in the bottom of the fourth, loading the bases with no outs against Panther on a leadoff double to left by Kail, a Burton single and Knouse walk.

Illinois made a change on the mound at that point, bringing in Kevin Duggan with the bases loaded and no outs. He responded by getting Dennison to fly out to shallow left, forcing Kail to hold at third.

Disaster then struck DuBois, as they tried a squeeze play with Witherite at the plate. Unfortunately for DuBois, Witherite bunted through a pitch and Kail got hung up as he sprinted towards the plate and was eventually tagged out to end a rundown for out No. 2. 

Witherite then smacked a single to left that would have scored Kail, if not for the failed squeeze play, but instead only reloaded the bases. DuBois came up empty in the inning when Duggan got Easton Harris to pop up to second for the third out.

Knouse kept it a 7-0 game at that point, retiring the side in order in the fifth and sixth. 

Meanwhile, Duggan worked around a leadoff walk by London Duncan in the bottom of the fifth before giving way to Nathaniel Serrano on the mound in the sixth.

DuBois got singles from Knouse and Witherite around a pair of outs in the sixth, but Serrano then got Hunter Ho to hit into a fielder’s choice to end the inning and leave a pair on base. DuBois stranded nine runners in total in the game.

Knouse continued to deal into the seventh, setting down the first two batters before allowing a single to Edlund. Knouse, who had retired all nine hitters he faced up to that point, was then removed having thrown 35 pitches to be eligible to throw again Monday if needed.

Carter Genevro came on in relief and gave up a single to Hite that put runners on the corners. Salvador Torres followed with a shot down the first base line that hit the bag to be a fair ball.

Ho made a nice play, fielding the ricochet in the air the grass near the line. He then flipped the ball to Genevro, who ran over to cover the bag. Unfortunately, Genevro dropped the throw, an error that allowed Edlund and Hite to score to make it 9-0 before Genevero struck out Isaiah Ruiz looking to end the inning.

Duncan tried to start a DuBois rally in the bottom of the seventh, drawing a leadoff walk. However, Illinois reliever Lotus countered with three straight outs to finish off the win for the Central Region champs.

ILLINOS 9,

DUBOIS 0

Score by Innings

Illinois;000;700;2;—;9

DuBois;000;000;0;—;0

Illinois—9

Evan Panther p-lf 2110, Lucas Karczewski ph-lf 1000, Ryan Lotus 2b-p 4112, David Campbell 3b 4121, Edgar Villanueva 1b 4011, Jake Edlund cf 4201, Jacob Hite rf 4231, Jack Eskra dh 2011, Salvador Torres ph-dh 2000, Nathan Bessette lf 0000, Kevin Duggan p 0000, Nathaniel Serrano p 0000, Danny Corona ss 1100, Isaiah Ruiz spr-ph-ss 2100, Robert Soto c 2000. Totals: 32-9-9-6.

DuBois—0

Wes Clyde ss 3010, Jack Statler 2b 2000, Seth Wilmoth 2b 2000, Bryson Kail 1b-cf 4010, Evan Burton p-3b 3010, Brody Knouse 3b-p 2010, Carter Genevro p 0000, Isaac Dennison c 3010, Nate Witherite lf-rf 3020, Easton Harris rf 2000, Hunter Ho 1b 1000, London Duncan cf-lf 1000. Totals: 26-0-7-0.

Errors: Illinois 0, DuBois 4. LOB: Illinois 5, DuBois 9. 2B: Campbell, HIte; Clyde, Kail. 3B: Villanueva. HBP: Panther (by Burton), Soto (by Burton). SB: Panther, Lotus. CS: Panther (by Dennison); Kail.

Pitching

Illinois: Evan Panther-3+ IP, 4 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 5 SO; Kevin Duggan-2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 SO; Nathaniel Serrano-1 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 SO; Ryan Lotus-1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 0 SO.

DuBois: Evan Burton-3 2/3 IP, 8 H, 7 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 1 SO, 2 HB; Brody Knouse-3 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 3 SO; Carter Genevro-1/3 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 1 SO.

Winning pitcher: Duggan. Losing pitcher: Burton.