Red Devils Drop Pair to Grinnell at Home

EUREKA, Ill. – The Eureka softball team dropped both games of a doubleheader to Grinnell on Monday afternoon, falling 12-2 in six innings in game one and 14-5 in six innings in game two.

GAME 1: Grinnell 12, Eureka 2 (6 innings)

Eureka threatened early in the opener but could not capitalize, leaving the bases loaded in the bottom of the first after Shaylun Christenberry (Brocton, Ill./Shiloh) opened the game with a scoreless inning in the circle.

Grinnell broke through in the second inning, plating six runs to take a 6-0 lead.

Christenberry answered in the bottom half of the inning, blasting her first career home run to get the Red Devils on the board and cut the deficit to 6-1. Lexi Liptak (Lemont, Ill./Lemont) followed with a double and later scored on an error to bring Eureka within 6-2 after two innings.

Christenberry delivered another scoreless frame in the third, but Eureka was unable to add to its total.

Grinnell extended its lead in the fourth with a double followed by a home run to make it 8-2 and force a pitching change. Mallory Kohnen (New Athens, Ill./New Athens) entered in relief and finished the inning without allowing another run before tossing a scoreless fifth.

The visitors pulled away in the sixth with four runs to push the lead to 12-2. Grinnell then held Eureka scoreless in the bottom half to end the game via the run rule.

Christenberry pitched 3.2 innings, allowing four earned runs, while also contributing the home run at the plate. Kohnen worked 2.1 innings in relief and allowed three earned runs.

Tylar Whitaker (Country Club Hills, Ill./Rich Township) reached base twice with a hit and a walk, and Olivia Hurst (Ava, Ill./Freeburg Community) drew two walks.

GAME 2: Grinnell 14, Eureka 5 (6 innings)

Grinnell threatened in the opening inning of game two, but a strong defensive play from Breannyn Dixon (Newark, Ill./Newark Community) in center field cut down a runner attempting to score to keep the game scoreless.

Eureka added to the momentum in the bottom of the first. Danika Apostolovich (Riverside, Ill./Riverside-Brookfield) led off with a double before Dixon drove her home with a single to give the Red Devils a 1-0 lead. Ashlyn Voyles (Farmer City, Ill./Blue Ridge) followed with a sacrifice fly to score Dixon and extend the lead to 2-0.

Grinnell answered in the second with a two-run home run to even the game at 2-2.

The Red Devils again threatened in the bottom of the second, loading the bases with one out, but Grinnell escaped the jam without allowing a run.

Grinnell moved ahead 3-2 with a run in the third, but Eureka responded in the fourth. Apostolovich drew a leadoff walk and Voyles followed with another walk before Whitaker doubled to drive in two runs. Whitaker later advanced to third on a wild pitch and scored on another wild pitch to give Eureka a 5-3 advantage.

Grinnell tied the game in the fifth, capitalizing on Eureka defensive errors to score two runs.

The visitors broke the game open in the sixth, scoring nine runs to take a 14-5 lead before holding Eureka scoreless in the bottom half to secure the run-rule victory.

Kaitlyn Robinson (Macomb, Ill./Macomb) started in the circle for Eureka and pitched 5.1 innings, allowing eight earned runs.

Whitaker finished with a hit, a walk, and two RBIs, while Voyles reached base twice via walks and recorded an RBI. Dixon went 1-for-3 with an RBI.

UP NEXT

Eureka will now have time off before returning to action on Thursday, March 19, when the Red Devils host Wheaton for a doubleheader scheduled to begin at 2 p.m.