Bucky Dent

Johnston City

Sports Writer at The Southern Illinoisan

Full-time freelance sportswriter, covering mostly SIU sports. Umpire, jack of some trades and awesomely sarcastic according to a friend.

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Articles

Teutopolis rallies past Du Quoin at super-sectional

3 days ago | thesouthern.com | Bucky Dent

CARBONDALE — There are heartbreaking losses and then there’s how Du Quoin’s baseball team ended its season Monday night at the Class 2A Carbondale Super-Sectional. Ahead 5-0 in the bottom of the fifth with righthander Dedrick Melvin absolutely dealing, the Indians found out the hard way that Teutopolis is never out of a game. kAm%96 (@@56? $9@6D D4@C65 E9C66 E:>6D :? E96 7:7E9 2?5 E9C66 >@C6 :? E96 D6G6?E9 7@C 2 DEF??:?8 e\d H:?]k^AmkAm|:?FE6D 27E6C A:?49\9:EE6C %6282?
'This isn't by accident': Pawnee baseball mounts another comeback to reach state finals

4 days ago | sj-r.com | Bucky Dent

CARBONDALE — Veteran Pawnee coach Chris Hennemann referred to his team as dogs. It was appropriate that they barked loudest at the home of the Salukis. Rallying from a 4-1 deficit, Pawnee earned its first berth in the Class 1A semifinals Monday, June 2, edging Waltonville 5-4 in the Carbondale Super-Sectionals at SIU’s Itchy Jones Stadium.
Spartans can't hold late lead, fall to Pawnee

4 days ago | thesouthern.com | Bucky Dent

CARBONDALE — Waltonville/Sesser-Valier led 4-1 in the fourth inning Monday and was two outs away from its first trip to the Class 1A state semifinals in 40 years. That only made the eventual 5-4 loss to Pawnee tougher to swallow for Spartan players and coaches. kAm%96 =2DE @7 7:G6 6CC@CD[ 2 @?6\9@A E9C@H 7C@> D64@?5 E92E 3@F?465 A2DE 42E496C w2J56? |4|FCC2J 2?5 H6?E E@ E96 324<DE@A[ D4@C65 E96 EJ:?8 2?5 H:??:?8 CF?D H:E9 @?6 @FE :? E96 E@A @7 E96 D6G6?E9]k^AmkAm“%@ 2? @=5 >2?
Redbirds strike first, but Du Quoin recovers to win title

6 days ago | thesouthern.com | Bucky Dent

DU QUOIN — They made three errors in a four-batter stretch in the bottom of the third inning, gifting underdog West Frankfort a 3-0 lead. Then they left the bases loaded in the fourth and left a man at third in the fifth, insuring they would face the last six outs of their season down at least 3-1. kAmp?5 ?@?6 @7 :E >2EE6C65 7@C sF "F@:?] }@E 27E6C :E D4@C65 D6G6? CF?D :? E96 D:IE9 :??:?8 E@ 62C? 2? g\c H:?
Red Bud hangs tough but falls to defending state champ Carterville in sectional semifinal

1 week ago | stltoday.com | Bucky Dent

MURPHYSBORO, Ill. — It was a numbers game Wednesday for the Red Bud softball team. The dynamic dozen, as coach Brian Boeving calls his squad, was playing in its first Class 2A sectional in 12 years. But Carterville’s powerful No. 7, righthanded pitcher Caidence Phillips, struck out 13 hitters and allowed just three hits in the Lions’ 3-1 victory that ended the Musketeers’ season at 25-8. “There’s no shame in going toe to toe with the best pitcher in Illinois and keeping it close,” Boeving said.
Lions nip it in the 'Bud to advance to sectional finals

1 week ago | thesouthern.com | Bucky Dent

MURPHYSBORO — The bullseye remains intact for Carterville’s softball team. The defending Class 2A champions rode a three-run third inning and Caidence Phillips’ dominant pitching Wednesday to a 3-1 win over Red Bud in the semifinals of the Murphysboro Sectional. kAm%96 C6DF=E 25G2?465 E96 {:@?D Wae\cX E@ E96 D64E:@?2= 7:?2= 2E ?@@? $2EFC52J 282:?DE p??2\y@?6D3@C@] %96J C@FE65 E96 (:=542ED `a\_ =2DE >@?E9 :? 2 >2CBF66 >2E49FA :?
Falcons rally past Goreville at Trico Sectional

1 week ago | thesouthern.com | Bucky Dent

CAMPBELL HILL — While the size of the Goreville hurdle may have paled in comparison to other years, it still felt good for Elverado coach Ben Melby and his Falcons to climb it in the sectional round. “I think the last four times we’ve won our regional, they have knocked us out in sectionals,” Melby said Tuesday after his team erased an early 3-0 deficit to earn an 8-5 victory in the semifinals of the Class 1A Trico Sectional.
Marion Soccer gears up for strong Triad squad

1 week ago | thesouthern.com | Bucky Dent

Marion’s girls soccer team faces a daunting challenge Tuesday at the Class 2A Waterloo Sectional when it meets perennial metro-east power, Triad, at 5 p.m.After all, the Knights have won four state titles since 2011, three in the last seven seasons. They have placed either first, second or third five times since 2017 and likely would have made it six in eight were it not for COVID-19 canceling the 2020 season. kAmqFE D64@?5\J62C |2C:@?
Goreville Nine rolls by Hawks for regional title

1 week ago | thesouthern.com | Bucky Dent

GOREVILLE — One thing’s for sure: Goreville made its three hits count Saturday. Supplementing that little bit of offense with eight walks and two hit batsmen, the Blackcats (24-8) short-gamed Gallatin County 11-0 in the championship game of their Class 1A regional. kAmxE H2D E96 `hE9 C68:@?2= E:E=6 :? a_ J62CD 7@C v@C6G:==6 Wac\gX[ H9:49 ?@H 25G2?46D E@ E96 r@356?
Kyra Graham’s 92nd goal this season lifts Marion over Freeburg in regional title game

2 weeks ago | stltoday.com | Bucky Dent

MARION, Ill. — Minutes after Friday night’s Class 2A Marion Regional girls soccer final, John Denver sang about country roads. Freeburg took those country roads home for the last time in 2025. Kyra Graham’s free-kick goal in the 64th minute snapped a tie and led Marion to a 2-1 win over Freeburg. “A well-struck ball,” Freeburg coach Becky Ganz said of Graham’s tie-breaking tally. Graham’s goal, the 92nd in 17 matches this year for the Wildcats (15-2), epitomized the difference between the sides.