Eureka Powers Past MUW in Game Two

COLUMBUS, Miss. – The Eureka baseball team earned a split in Friday's doubleheader against MUW, breaking through with its first win in program history over the Owls in a dominant 16-6 run-rule victory in the nightcap after dropping the opener 15-11.

MUW claimed game one behind a late surge before Eureka's offense erupted in game two to secure the split.

GAME 1: MUW 15, Eureka 11

In the opener, MUW jumped out to a 4-0 lead with a run in the first and three more in the third. Eureka responded in the fourth as Noah Company (Le Roy, Ill./Le Roy) sparked the rally with a double, followed by an RBI double from Dylan Smith (Farina, Ill./South Central). Dewrell Wesley (Mountain View, Calif./Los Altos) added an RBI single before Nate Cooley (Chillicothe, Ill./Illinois Valley Central) drove in another run to cut the deficit to 4-3.

Eureka evened the score in the fifth when Company delivered a two-out single and Smith followed with another RBI double to make it 4-4. MUW answered with three runs in the bottom half to regain the lead.

The Red Devils surged ahead in the sixth with a two-out rally. Cooley and Conor Fitzpatrick (North Barrington, Ill./Barrington) singled, and Joe Clark (East Peoria, Ill./East Peoria) was hit by a pitch to load the bases. Andrew Zimmerman (Eureka, Ill./Eureka) delivered a two-RBI single before Company followed with another two-run single to give Eureka its first lead at 8-7.

MUW tied the game in the bottom of the sixth, but Eureka regained momentum in the seventh. After Grant Hackney (Morton, Ill./Morton) reached on an error, Camden Smith (Florence, Ala./Florence) launched a two-run home run to put the Red Devils ahead 10-8. Cooley and Clark added back-to-back singles, with Clark driving in a run to extend the lead to 11-8.

The Owls responded with five runs in the bottom of the seventh to take a 13-11 lead and added two more in the eighth while holding Eureka scoreless the rest of the way.

Company led the way in game one, going 3-for-5 with a double, two RBIs and two runs scored. Cooley also finished 3-for-5 with an RBI, while Smith recorded two doubles and two RBIs. Ethan McDonald (Cleveland, Okla./Mannford) started on the mound, pitching 4.0 innings and allowing five runs on five hits.

GAME 2: Eureka 16, MUW 6 (8 innings)

Eureka bounced back in a big way in game two, plating three runs in the first inning. Zimmerman and Company opened with back-to-back singles before Hackney delivered a two-RBI double. Wesley followed with an RBI single to make it 3-0.

After MUW scored once in the bottom of the first, Eureka broke the game open with a nine-run third inning. Hackney and Wesley reached to start the frame before Camden Smith drove in a run with a single. Joshua Stanley (Huntsville, Texas/Huntsville) followed with a bunt single to plate another run, and Zimmerman added an RBI fielder's choice. Company delivered an RBI double, and after a pitching change, Dylan Smith drove in two with a single. Hackney added an RBI single, Wesley tripled home a run, and Camden Smith capped the inning with an RBI single to give Eureka a 12-1 lead.

MUW answered with four runs in the fourth, but Eureka continued to add on. Company singled and Smith doubled in the fifth before Wesley brought home a run with a sacrifice fly to make it 13-5.

The Red Devils tacked on three more runs in the eighth. Wesley walked and Camden Smith was hit by a pitch before Stanley delivered an RBI single. Zimmerman followed with a two-RBI single to extend the lead to 16-5. MUW added one run in the bottom half as Eureka secured the run-rule victory.

Company went 3-for-6 with a double, an RBI, and three runs scored in game two. Hackney finished 3-for-5 with a double, three RBIs, and three runs scored, while Wesley added three RBIs and a triple. Stanley led all hitters with a 4-for-5 performance, driving in two runs and scoring twice. Zimmerman recorded three RBIs, and both Dylan Smith and Camden Smith contributed two RBIs apiece.

On the mound, Brayden Williams (Kansas, Okla./Salina) earned the win and pitched 5.0 innings, allowing five runs on 11 hits. Connor Metz (Tinley Park, Ill./Victor J. Andrew) closed out the game with 3.0 innings of relief, surrendering just one run on two hits.

UP NEXT

Eureka will close out the three-game series against MUW on Saturday at 11 a.m.