For Immediate Release

eureka, illinois

April 23, 2008

Cashdollar's shutout, Hudec's 5 RBI spark 15-run win, DH sweep

Boxscores: Game 1 | Game 2

EUREKA — The Eureka baseball team moved to within one game of second place in the St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference standings after sweeping the three-game season series from Principia College.  The Red Devils topped the Panthers 6-4 on the road in a nine-inning contest Monday, then took both ends of a home doubleheader, 10-2 and 15-0, Tuesday.

The Red Devils (14-16, 12-8) have won seven out of their last eight games.  They have also done an outstanding job of protecting their home diamond, now running their mark at Henry Sand Field to 8-2.

In Monday's game, Eureka never trailed in a 6-4 decision.  Clay McConkey (Fairview, Ill./Spoon River Valley) tossed eight solid innings, striking out eight and allowing five hits to pick up the win.  Kyle Koerner
(LeRoy, Ill./HS), who knocked in two runs with a 3-for-3 performance at the plate, got the final three outs in the ninth on the mound after Principia (7-20, 1-14 SLIAC) brought the tying run to the plate.

Koerner had run scoring singles in the second and fourth innings as EC built a 3-0 lead.  Principia got on the board with a two-run blast by Matt Bowman in the bottom of the fourth, but the Red Devils came right back with an RBI triple by Mike Wagner (Chicago, Ill./St. Rita) and solo home run by Nick Knoblauch (Metamora, Ill./HS) to subdue the Panthers.

Wagner and Knoblauch each had two hits in the game, while Brent Miller (Arcola, Ill./HS) was on base three times with an RBI single and two walks.  Wade Furrow (El Paso, Ill./HS) capped the Red Devils' scoring with an RBI hit in the sixth that put EC on top 6-2.

In Tuesday's action, the Red Devils scored in 10 of the 12 innings they batted to take much of the suspense out of both games before the late innings arrived. Eureka also received stand out starting efforts from pitchers Kyle Buchanan (Fairview, Ill./Prairie Central) and Benji Cashdollar (Morton, Ill./HS).

Buchanan got the call in game one.  He went five innings, giving up one unearned run on four hits, three bases on balls and two strikeouts. Tyler Glaub (Metamora, Ill./HS) got out of a bases loaded jam in the sixth and closed out the game for EC on the bump.

The Red Devils recorded four doubles among their 15 hits in the opening game.  Wagner was responsible for two of the doubles and the same number of runs batted in.  Knoblauch was the only player in the game with three hits.  He also chipped in two runs scored.

Cashdollar was involved in three of the first four runs for EC as he scored the first run on Wagner's double in the first inning and lined a two-run single with the bases loaded to center in the second for a 4-0 lead.  Eureka eventually went ahead 10-1 after a four-run rally in the sixth that featured seven hits.

Koerner was again perfect at the plate, going 2-for-2 with two RBI, two sacrifices and a run scored.  Keith Moore (Hamilton, Ill./HS) also had two hits.  Eureka did not have a two-out hit, but went 11-for-23 (.478) with runners on base.

The nightcap saw 11 different Red Devils score a run, a shutout by Cashdollar, and career-best games by Wagner and Andy Hudec (Streamwood, Ill./HS) as EC rolled to a 15-0 win, its most lopsided victory in over nine years.

It was Cashdollar's second shutout this season.  He did not walk or hit a batter, scattered seven hits over seven innings and stuck out six.  He is now 5-1 over has last six starts.

Wagner, Hudec and the rest of the Red Devils made sure their pitcher had plenty of runs to work with.  Eureka scored one in the first, two more in the second, then blew the game open with four in the third.

Hudec, who had a pinch hit RBI single in game one, recorded his first three-hit game at Eureka.  He also knocked in a personal best five runs from the No. 9 spot in the batting order. Wagner tied his career-high with four hits in the contest, including a lead off homer in the fourth inning.

Wagner and Glaub each drove in three runs in game two.  Glaub had the key hit in Eureka's four-run third inning as he came up with the bases loaded with two outs and knocked everyone in with a triple to deep right field.  He extended his hitting streak to nine games.

The next game for the Red Devils is Wednesday, April 23 at home versus Lincoln Christian, with the first pitch at 3:00 pm.  Eureka swept a pair of slug-fests from the Preachers last week by scores of 16-15 and 21-11.

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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