For Immediate Release

eureka, illinois

March 3, 2008

EC baseball opens season with 3-game series @ Hendrix

CONWAY, AR. -- The Eureka College baseball season began with a three-game series at Hendrix College.  The Warriors of Hendrix swept the series with 8-4 and 14-1 victories on Saturday and a 12-6 triumph on Sunday.

In the season opener, Eureka (0-3) took a 2-1 lead with four singles in the third stanza.  Keith Moore (Hamilton, Ill./HS) and Tyler Glaub (Metamora, Ill./HS) commenced the rally with hits and later scored the Red Devils' first tallies of the 2008 campaign.

Hendrix (8-10) plated four runs in the fourth to go up 5-2, but EC came back with two in the fifth.  Eureka loaded up the bases with two walks and a hit batter setting up a two-run single by Brent Miller (Mattoon, Ill./Arcola). But Hendrix scored the final three runs of the contest to pull away.  EC pitcher Clay McConkey (Fairview, Ill./Spoon River Valley) struck out six in the complete game effort.

Eureka starter Benji Cashdollar (Morton, Ill./HS) fanned five over four innings and had an RBI single, but EC fell to the Warriors 14-1 in game two Saturday.  The Red Devils rapped into two double plays, and surrendered five unearned tallies.

In the series finale, the Red Devils took advantage of three Hendrix defensive miscues in the first inning to take a 2-0 lead only to see the first eight Warrior batters reach safely in the bottom of the frame leading to a nine run outburst.

Neither squad scored again until the seventh when Eureka got back in the game with four runs to get within 9-6.  Hendrix was charged with two more errors during the rally.  Cashdollar, Miller and Alex Rosenbeck (Bridgeview, Ill./Argo) knocked in runs, but EC left the bases loaded.  EC stranded 11 runners on base on the day.

Hendrix added three insurance runs in the eighth. Three Red Devils had three hits in the series: Wade Furrow (El Paso, Ill./HS), Mike Wagner (Chicago, Ill./St. Rita) and Miller.  Miller had three runs batted in, while Moore led the team with three runs scored.

Eureka is slated to play at the University of the Ozarks Monday, March 3 at 2:30 pm.

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For More Information Contact:

Brian Sullivan
Sports Information Director
Eureka College
300 E. College Avenue
Eureka, Illinois 61530
309-467-6456
bsullivan@eureka.edu