Eureka Falls Twice to Open Augustana Invite

ROCK ISLAND, Ill. – The Eureka baseball team dropped both games on the opening day of the Augustana Invite on Friday. The Red Devils fell to Lawrence, 18-3, in seven innings in the morning game before suffering a 19-0 defeat to host Augustana in the afternoon contest.

GAME 1: Lawrence 18, Eureka 3 (7 innings)

Lawrence jumped in front early, scoring once in the first inning, once in the second, and adding three more runs in the third to build a 5-0 lead.

Ethan McDonald (Cleveland, Okla./Mannford) pitched a scoreless fourth inning to keep the Red Devils within striking distance, and Eureka's offense responded in the bottom half. Grant Hackney (Morton, Ill./Morton) started the rally with a leadoff walk before Michael Guzman (Houston, Texas/Navasota) singled to put runners on the corners. Conor Fitzpatrick (North Barrington, Ill./Barrington) then drew a walk to load the bases, and Nate Cooley (Chillicothe, Ill./Illinois Valley Central) followed with another walk to force in a run and cut the deficit to 5-1. However, Eureka could not capitalize further and left the bases loaded to end the inning.

Lawrence broke the game open in the fifth, erupting for 10 runs to extend its lead to 15-1.

Eureka answered with two runs in the bottom of the inning. Noah Company (Le Roy, Ill./Le Roy) opened the frame with a walk and Dylan Smith (Farina, Ill./South Central) followed with another free pass to put two runners on. Later in the inning, Guzman reached on an error that allowed both runners to score and trimmed the deficit to 15-3.

After a scoreless sixth inning, the Vikings plated three more runs in the seventh and then held Eureka scoreless in the bottom half to secure the 18-3 win.

Guzman finished 1-for-3 with two RBIs to lead the Eureka offense, while Dylan Smith and Fitzpatrick each reached base twice. McDonald started on the mound and worked 4.0 innings, allowing seven runs.

GAME 2: Augustana 19, Eureka 0 (7 innings)

Augustana took control immediately in the second game, scoring 10 runs in the bottom of the first inning to take an early commanding lead.

The hosts continued to add on with two runs in the third, six more in the fourth, and another in the sixth while limiting Eureka's offense throughout the contest.

The Red Devils avoided the no-hitter in the seventh inning when Nate Cooley delivered a two-out single, accounting for Eureka's lone hit of the game.

Cooley led Eureka with the team's only hit, while Ben Perrine (Payson, Ill./Payson Seymour), Hackney, and Fitzpatrick each reached base with walks.

Nolan Hudson (Spencer, Ind./Edgewood) started on the mound for the Red Devils but lasted just 0.2 innings, allowing 10 runs. Hayden McKenna (Sheridan, Ill./Marquette Academy) provided 2.2 innings of relief, surrendering three runs.

UP NEXT

Eureka will wrap up play at the Augustana Invite on Saturday with a 1:00 p.m. matchup against Central.