Red Devils Close Augustana Invite with 4-2 Win Over Central

ROCK ISLAND, Ill. – The Eureka baseball team closed the Augustana Invite on a high note Saturday afternoon, earning a 4-2 victory over Central to finish the weekend with a strong bounce-back performance.

Eureka struck quickly in the top of the first inning. Andrew Zimmerman (Eureka, Ill./Eureka) reached on an error to put the leadoff man aboard before Dylan Smith (Farina, Ill./South Central) also reached on an error to give the Red Devils runners on the corners. With two outs, Griffin Klein (Bowie, Md./Bowie) delivered a single to bring home both runners and give Eureka an early 2-0 lead.

Brayden Williams (Kansas, Okla./Salina) got the start on the mound for Eureka and worked a scoreless first inning before Central answered in the bottom of the second. The Dutch used a pair of doubles to plate a run and trim the Eureka lead to 2-1 after two innings.

Williams settled in from there, holding Central scoreless through the third and fourth innings, though Eureka was unable to add to its lead at the plate. Central eventually evened the score in the bottom of the fifth with a leadoff home run to tie the game at 2-2.

Neither team managed to break through in the sixth before Trevor Kinder (West Plains, Mo./West Plains) entered in relief for Eureka in the seventh. Kinder kept Central off the board to send the game into the eighth inning still tied.

The Red Devils regained the lead in the top of the eighth. Noah Company (Le Roy, Ill./Le Roy) was hit by a pitch to lead off the inning, and Joshua Stanley (Huntsville, Texas/Huntsville) followed with a single to put runners on the corners with one out. Klein then laid down a sacrifice bunt that brought Company home to give Eureka a 3-2 advantage. Camden Smith (Florence, Ala./Florence) later reached on an error, allowing Stanley to score and extend the lead to 4-2.

Kenyon Martin (Galena, Kan./Galena) took over on the mound in the eighth and was tasked with securing the final six outs. After Central placed two runners on with one out in the eighth, Martin escaped the jam with back-to-back strikeouts. He then retired the side in order in the ninth to seal the 4-2 win.

Klein led the Red Devils at the plate, finishing 2-for-3 with three RBIs. Stanley also had a strong day, going 2-for-2 and scoring a run.

Williams pitched 6.0 innings, allowing two runs on seven hits and one walk. Kinder earned the win after a scoreless seventh inning to improve to 2-0 on the season, while Martin recorded his first save of the year with two scoreless innings and three strikeouts.

UP NEXT

Eureka returns to SLIAC play next weekend when the Red Devils travel to Louisville, Ky., for a three-game series against Spalding on Friday and Saturday.