Late Rally Falls Short as Eureka Drops Two to Westminster

CHILLICOTHE, Ill. – The Eureka baseball team dropped both games of its SLIAC-opening doubleheader against Westminster on Sunday, falling 13-10 in the opener and 13-3 in game two at Illinois Valley Central High School. The games were moved to Chillicothe due to unplayable field conditions in Eureka.

GAME 1: Westminster 13, Eureka 10

Westminster jumped out to an early lead with a leadoff home run and later added a two-out RBI single to take a 2-0 advantage after the first inning.

Eureka quickly answered in the bottom half of the inning, opening its day at the plate with four straight singles. Grant Hackney (Morton, Ill./Morton) delivered the biggest hit of the frame, knocking in two runs with a single to tie the game at 2-2.

Ethan McDonald (Cleveland, Okla./Mannford) kept the Blue Jays off the board in the second before the Red Devils took their first lead of the day. After loading the bases, Ben Perrine (Payson, Ill./Payson Seymour) grounded out to score Nate Cooley (Chillicothe, Ill./Illinois Valley Central) and give Eureka a 3-2 edge.

Westminster tied the game with a two-out RBI single in the third before breaking the game open an inning later. The Blue Jays scored four runs in the fourth to force Eureka to the bullpen, then added two more in the fifth and another in the sixth to stretch the lead to 10-3.

Westminster added three more runs in the eighth inning to extend its advantage to 13-3 and bring the run rule into play.

Facing their final out in the bottom of the eighth, the Red Devils sparked a late rally. Noah Company (Le Roy, Ill./Le Roy) doubled and Andrew Zimmerman (Eureka, Ill./Eureka) singled before Dewrell Wesley (Mountain View, Calif./Los Altos) delivered a two-run triple. Wesley scored on a throwing error to cut the deficit to 13-6.

Eureka kept the momentum going in the ninth. Hackney and Josh Frenden (New Port Richey, Fla./River Ridge) opened the inning with hits before Camden Smith (Florence, Ala./Florence) grounded out to bring home a run. Conor Fitzpatrick (North Barrington, Ill./Barrington) followed with an RBI single, and Zimmerman later doubled to drive in two more runs and pull the Red Devils within 13-10.

Westminster made a pitching change after Zimmerman's double, and the Blue Jays' reliever recorded the final out to secure the victory.

Zimmerman, Wesley, and Frenden each recorded three-hit games in the opener. Frenden added two doubles, Zimmerman had a double, and Wesley tripled. Perrine, Hackney, and Fitzpatrick also posted multi-hit performances with two hits each, while Zimmerman, Wesley ,and Hackney drove in two runs apiece.

McDonald started on the mound and pitched 3.1 innings, allowing seven runs. Colin DeLaere (Pekin, Ill./Pekin) tossed a scoreless inning out of the bullpen, while Hayden McKenna (Sheridan, Ill./Marquette Academy) added two innings of relief and allowed one run on two hits.

GAME 2: Westminster 13, Eureka 3

Westminster again struck early in game two, scoring four runs in the second inning to take a 4-0 lead and force Eureka to its bullpen early.

Nolan Hudson (Spencer, Ind./Edgewood) limited the damage in relief before the Blue Jays broke through again in the fifth, adding two runs to extend the lead to 6-0.

Eureka got on the board in the bottom of the fifth following a series of Westminster errors, and Zimmerman added an RBI single to bring the Red Devils within 6-2.

Westminster pulled away late, scoring two runs in the seventh and four more in the eighth to take a 12-2 lead.

Down to their final out once again, the Red Devils extended the game when Griffin Klein (Bowie, Md./Bowie) delivered an RBI single to make it 12-3 and force a ninth inning.

The Blue Jays added another run in the ninth before closing out the 13-3 win.

Zimmerman finished 2-for-5 with an RBI to lead Eureka at the plate. Frenden added a double and Klein recorded the Red Devils' other RBI.

Noah Company (Le Roy, Ill./Le Roy) started on the mound and pitched 1.2 innings, allowing three earned runs. Hudson followed with 2.2 innings of relief while allowing just one earned run, and Trevor Kinder (West Plains, Mo./West Plains) added two-thirds of an inning and kept Westminster scoreless.

UP NEXT

Eureka will look to salvage the final game of the series Monday when the Red Devils host Westminster at noon at Henry Sand Field.