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For Immediate Releaseeureka, illinois
March 27, 2008
EC uses 6 HR, 36-run explosion to sweep DH in home opener
EUREKA — The Eureka College offense overwhelmed MacMurray College Tuesday afternoon as the Red Devils opened the home portion of their schedule by recording 19-11 and 17-6 victories over the visiting Highlanders. The wins mark the first doubleheader sweep for Eureka since March 28, 2005 when EC took two games from Knox College.
Eureka (3-10, 3-2 SLIAC) blasted six home runs in the first game alone to eventually break away from a close score in the middle innings.
After MacMurray (2-7, 0-5 SLIAC) plated two unearned runs in the top of the first, EC responded with a pair of two-run homers hit by Mike Wagner (Chicago, Ill./St. Rita) and Alex Rosenbeck (Bridgeview, Ill./Argo).
The Highlanders climbed on top 5-4 before Eureka could strike again with yet another two-run shot, this time clubbed by Kyle Koerner (LeRoy, Ill./HS). For Koerner and Rosenbeck, it was the first home run in the respective collegiate careers.
MacMurray took advantage of a hit batter and walk to tie the game at 6-6 without getting a hit in the top of the fourth. But Eureka took control in the bottom of the frame thanks to adding some small-ball to go with all of the power. Back-to-back walks knocked MacMurray starter Nick Schmidt out of the game. Then reliever Joe Butler's first offering to EC junior third baseman Nick Knoblauch (Metamora, Ill./HS) was launched over the right centerfield fence, putting Eureka back ahead 9-6. The Red Devils went on to hit three more singles and took advantage to two errors in the field to extend the lead to 12-6 before the side was retired.
Michael Nance homered during a three-run rally by MacMurray in the fifth to slice the deficit to three at 12-9 only to see the Red Devils put the game out of reach in their half of the frame by tallying four runs on four hits. By the time Koerner and Knoblauch added their second home runs in the game in back-to-back fashion in the sixth inning, they were simply adding icing to the cake.
All 10 batters in the game for Eureka recorded a hit. Koerner, Knoblauch and Tyler Glaub (Metamora, Ill./HS) had three apiece. Eureka's fifth through ninth spots in the batting order combined to go 14-for-19 with 15 runs scored and 11 driven in. There were eight home runs in the game, and both teams were charged with four errors.
Kyle Buchanan (Fairbury, Ill./Prairie Central) got his first win of the season after allowing five earned runs over four innings. Koerner pitched the final three innings to earn a save.
In the nightcap, the Red Devils did not let up at all in the early going. Eureka sent 17 batters to plate in the bottom of the first. Although only five recorded a hit, EC still managed 12 runs against three different MacMurray hurlers. Eureka scored 10 of the runs with two outs as Glaub, Benji Cashdollar (Morton, Ill./HS) and Tim Cashdollar (Morton, Ill./HS) all delivered two-run singles and Knoblauch followed with a two-run triple during a rally that took roughly 35 minutes to complete.
The game settled down over the next three stanzas until Eureka broke out in the fifth. The Red Devils took advantage of four walks and an error to register five runs on just two hits. Chris Reatherford (Peoria Heights, Ill./HS), Allen Soppet (Lansing, Ill./Mt. Carmel), Troy Burd (Peoria, Ill./Woodruff), Wagner and Jake Leake (Lexington, Ill./Normal West) each had an RBI.
MacMurray scored six runs over the final two frames to provide the final margin of 17-6. Clay McConkey (Fairview, Ill./Spoon River Valley) was electric over seven innings, striking out a total of 13 batters, while allowing only two earned runs on seven hits.
The Red Devils, who out-hit the Highlanders just 9-7, were issued 13 bases on balls. Twelve of their 17 runs were unearned.
Eureka and MacMurray will complete their season series with a nine-inning game Wednesday, March 26 in Jacksonville starting at 3:00 pm.
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For More Information Contact:
Brian Sullivan
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