Eureka Splits at Westminster, Falls Short of Postseason Berth

FULTON, Mo. – Eureka softball's season came to a heartbreaking end on Saturday, as the Red Devils split a crucial doubleheader at Westminster, falling just short of a spot in the SLIAC Tournament.

Eureka kept its postseason hopes alive with a 5-2 extra-inning victory in Game 1 before dropping a 6-5 decision in walk-off fashion in Game 2.

GAME 1: Eureka 5, Westminster 2 (9 innings)

In the opener, Eureka struck first in the fourth inning when Ashlyn Voyles (Farmer City, Ill./Blue Ridge) delivered a two-out double and later scored on a single by Brooklyn Bowman (Washington, Ill./Washington) to give the Red Devils a 1-0 lead.

Kaitlyn Robinson (Macomb, Ill./Macomb) controlled the game early in the circle, tossing four scoreless innings before Westminster evened the score at 1-1 in the fifth.

The Red Devils responded in the sixth, opening the frame with consecutive singles from Lexi Liptak (Lemont, Ill./Lemont), Danika Apostolovich (Riverside, Ill./Riverside-Brookfield), and Breannyn Dixon (Newark, Ill./Newark Community). Bowman came through again with a double to plate a run and give Eureka a 2-1 edge.

Westminster forced extras with a solo home run in the seventh, but Eureka answered in the ninth. Olivia Hurst (Ava, Ill./Freeburg Community) reached on a walk before Kenna Newton (Toulon, Ill./Stark County) entered as a pinch runner and moved into scoring position. Shaylun Christenberry (Brocton, Ill./Shiloh) delivered a go-ahead double to make it 3-2, and Robinson followed with a two-run double to extend the lead to 5-2.

Robinson shut the door in the bottom half, completing a nine-inning effort while allowing just two runs on six hits and striking out four.

Bowman led the offense, going 2-for-3 with a double and two RBIs, while Apostolovich added two hits and a run scored. Robinson also contributed at the plate with a double and two RBIs.

With the win, Eureka forced a winner-take-all Game 2 for a berth in the SLIAC Tournament.

GAME 2: Westminster 6, Eureka 5

In the decisive game, Eureka again struck early. Apostolovich reached on a fielder's choice, stole second, and advanced to third on a wild pitch before scoring on a sacrifice fly by Voyles to make it 1-0.

Westminster answered with two runs in the first and added another in the second to take a 3-1 lead, but Eureka battled back in the third. Liptak singled ahead of a two-run home run by Dixon, knotting the game at 3-3.

The Red Devils regained the lead in the fourth when Hurst singled and later scored on a hit by Christenberry. Robinson followed with a single to move runners into scoring position, and Mallory Kohnen (New Athens, Ill./New Athens) added a sacrifice fly to push the lead to 5-3.

Kohnen and Robinson combined for four consecutive scoreless innings in the circle, keeping Eureka in front deep into the game.

Westminster rallied in the seventh. After loading the bases, Eureka recorded a force out at home for the second out, putting Westminster down to its final batter. A defensive miscue allowed two runs to score and tie the game before a walk-off single gave Westminster the 6-5 victory.

Dixon led the offense with a home run and two RBIs, while Liptak reached base three times with a hit and two walks. Voyles, Christenberry, and Kohnen each drove in a run.

Robinson started in the circle, tossing 2.2 innings and allowing two runs, while Kohnen worked 4.0 innings and allowed four runs, just one earned.

The loss ends Eureka's season just shy of a postseason berth, as the Red Devils capped their winningest SLIAC campaign since 2022. The doubleheader also marked the final games in a Red Devil uniform for seniors Danika Apostolovich, Lexi Liptak, and Ashlyn Voyles.