Red Devils Fall to Westminster in Series Finale

EUREKA, Ill. – The Eureka baseball team dropped its series finale to Westminster, 18-5, in seven innings Monday afternoon.

Westminster struck first in the top of the first inning, pushing across a run to take an early 1-0 lead. Eureka answered immediately in the bottom half when Dylan Smith (Farina, Ill./South Central) homered to straightaway center field in just his second at-bat as a Red Devil, tying the game at 1-1.

The Blue Jays' offense responded in the second inning, scoring five runs on six hits to pull ahead 6-1. Eureka trimmed the deficit in the bottom of the frame after Camden Smith (Florence, Ala./Florence) doubled and Nate Cooley (Chillicothe, Ill./Illinois Valley Central) followed with a double of his own to bring Smith home and make it 6-2.

Jake Steele (Monmouth, Ill./Monmouth-Roseville) entered in relief in the third inning and held Westminster scoreless, keeping the Red Devils within striking distance. However, the Blue Jays' bats heated back up in the fourth inning, plating five runs to extend their lead to 11-2.

Eureka got one run back in the bottom of the fourth after Camden Smith, Conor Fitzpatrick (North Barrington, Ill./Barrington), and Noah Company (Le Roy, Ill./Le Roy) each drew walks to load the bases. Andrew Zimmerman (Eureka, Ill./Eureka) then lifted a sacrifice fly that scored Smith, cutting the deficit to 11-3.

Kenyon Martin (Galena, Kan./Galena) worked a clean, three-up three-down inning in the fifth, but the Red Devils were unable to capitalize in the bottom half. Westminster broke through again in the sixth, scoring three runs to build a 14-3 advantage.

Montrez West (Edwardsville, Ill./Edwardsville) sparked Eureka in the bottom of the sixth with a single before Cooley (Chillicothe, Ill./Illinois Valley Central) launched his first home run as a Red Devil, a two-run shot that made the score 14-5.

Westminster responded with four more runs in the top of the seventh to push the lead to 18-5. The Blue Jays then held Eureka scoreless in the bottom half to secure the run-rule victory.

Cooley led the Red Devils at the plate, finishing 2-for-3 with three RBIs. Camden Smith added a hit and a walk while scoring two runs. Steele also contributed a scoreless inning out of the bullpen for Eureka.

UP NEXT

Eureka returns to action on Tuesday at home when the Red Devils host Knox in a doubleheader beginning at 12 p.m.