softball

ST. LOUIS (AP) - Michael Wacha  pitched into the seventh and combined with four relievers on a five-hitter as the St. Louis Cardinals blanked the Los Angeles Dodgers 1-0 to take a 2-0 lead in the National League Championship Series.

The popularity of summer softball is dwindling in western Illinois. The Quincy Herald Whig reports the city of Quincy had more than 150 park district softball teams in 1996, but this summer that number has fallen to 46. Officials said at a recent board meeting that the league is losing five to ten teams a year.

The Palmyra Lady Panthers softball team has been one of the most successful high school sports programs in our area.