Eureka Cruises to Doubleheader Sweep of Maranatha Baptist

EUREKA, Ill. – The Eureka baseball team swept a home doubleheader against Maranatha Baptist on Tuesday, earning wins of 11-4 and 10-4.

GAME 1: Eureka 11, Maranatha Baptist 4

In the opener, Eureka jumped out to an early lead in the first inning. Andrew Zimmerman (Eureka, Ill./Eureka) led off with a single before Noah Company (Le Roy, Ill./Le Roy) followed with a base hit and Dylan Smith (Farina, Ill./South Central) reached on an error to load the bases. Zimmerman scored on a wild pitch, and Dewrell Wesley (Mountain View, Calif./Los Altos) added a sacrifice fly before Camden Smith (Florence, Ala./Florence) singled to make it 3-0 after one inning.

Maranatha Baptist responded with a grand slam in the third to take a 4-3 lead, but Eureka answered in the bottom half. Company reached on an error, and consecutive singles by Dylan Smith and Grant Hackney (Morton, Ill./Morton) loaded the bases. Wesley and Camden Smith delivered back-to-back sacrifice flies to regain the lead at 5-4.

The Red Devils broke the game open in the fourth inning. Montrez West (Edwardsville, Ill./Edwardsville) doubled to lead off the frame, and Joe Clark (East Peoria, Ill./East Peoria) followed with a single. Zimmerman then tripled to drive in two runs before Company added an RBI single. Dylan Smith capped the inning with a two-run home run, his fourth of the season, to extend the lead to 10-4.

Eureka added one more run in the sixth as Wesley recorded his third sacrifice fly of the game, and the pitching staff held Maranatha Baptist scoreless the rest of the way to secure the 11-4 victory.

Dylan Smith went 3-for-4 with a home run, two RBIs, and four runs scored, while Hackney also finished 3-for-4. Zimmerman added two hits, including a triple, with two RBIs and two runs scored, and Company scored three times.

John Barclay (Lewistown, Ill./Lewistown) made his first career start on the mound, tossing 3.0 innings and allowing four runs on three hits. Trevor Kinder (West Plains, Mo./West Plains) earned the win with 3.0 scoreless innings in relief, improving to 3-0 on the season, while Cole Smith (Phoenix, Ariz./Horizon) closed out the game with a scoreless seventh.

GAME 2: Eureka 10, Maranatha Baptist 4

In game two, Eureka struck quickly again in the first inning. Company and Dylan Smith drew back-to-back walks before Hackney delivered an RBI single. Wesley then launched his first career home run, a three-run shot, to give the Red Devils a 4-0 lead.

Maranatha Baptist got one run back in the second, but Eureka extended its lead in the fourth when Clark hit his first career home run, a solo shot, to make it 5-1.

Eureka put the game out of reach in the fifth inning. Camden Smith doubled to start the frame before Andrew Sprinkle (Dorsey, Ill./Edwardsville) drove in a run with a groundout. After Clark was hit by a pitch and Jackson Slater (Huntsville, Texas/Huntsville) singled, Company reached on an error to bring home another run. Dylan Smith followed with a two-run double, and Hackney added an RBI single as Eureka built a 10-1 lead.

Maranatha Baptist scored three runs in the seventh, but Eureka held on for the 10-4 win to complete the sweep.

Wesley went 2-for-4 with a home run and three RBIs in game two, while Hackney finished 2-for-2 with a walk and two RBIs. Company and Slater each recorded two hits, and Camden Smith added two doubles. Clark also contributed with his first career home run.

Hayden McKenna (Sheridan, Ill./Marquette Academy) earned the win after pitching 5.0 innings, allowing one unearned run on seven hits. Brandon Bates (Black Creek, Wis./Seymour Community) tossed a scoreless, hitless inning in relief, and Logan Palmer (Geneseo, Ill./Geneseo) recorded the final two outs.

UP NEXT

Eureka will travel to MUW this weekend for a three-game series, with a doubleheader scheduled for Friday at 1 p.m. and 4 p.m., followed by the finale on Saturday at 11 a.m.