LeRoy Takes IESA Softball Title; Braves Clinch NL East Behind Dodd Save

A roundup of area and national sports notes from Sept. 22, 2026, covering state softball, the Braves' division clincher and the week ahead.

LeRoy's Panthers captured an IESA Class 1A state championship in softball on Saturday, beating Carthage 8-5 in the final held in Normal. The winning effort included a complete game on the mound and four runs driven in from a LeRoy player whose name was not given in the report. Blue Ridge Junior High finished fourth in the same 1A field.

In Major League Baseball, a Bismarck-Henning graduate closed out the Atlanta Braves' 4-2 victory at Houston on Sunday by striking out the side, recording his second save of the year. The win secured the NL East title for Atlanta, the organization's first since 2023. The reliever, identified in the report as Dodd, owns a 4-1 record with a 2.31 ERA, 50 strikeouts and 14 walks across 46 2/3 innings this season.

Looking ahead to college football, Ohio State brings the country's fifth-ranked passing attack into Saturday's 11 a.m. game, averaging 356.0 yards through the air. Illinois, also 2-1, ranks tied for 80th nationally in passing yards allowed at 212.5 per game.

In minor league baseball, a Champaign Central graduate and his Rocket City Trash Pandas have a chance to claim the Southern League championship on Tuesday. He contributed a 2-for-3 night with an RBI in the Trash Pandas' 5-4 Game 1 victory on Sunday. In high school soccer, the Tigers (4-2-1) welcome the Maroons (6-1-1) for a 6 p.m. Tuesday matchup with Big 12 Conference implications.