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For Immediate Releaseirving, texas
March 8, 2009
McConkeys help eureka to rare tie to open 2009 season
Northern teams are often at a disadvantage when traveling south on spring trips to take on southern squads with several games and even more outdoor practices under their belts. Such was the case for the Eureka College Red Devils as they opened their season with a three game series against a tough University of Dallas ball club in Irving. The Red Devils battled the Crusaders to a 2-2 draw through nine innings before darkness fell upon the ballpark causing a tie on Saturday. Dallas then erupted for a pair of 12-2 victories over EC on Sunday.
The Red Devils (0-2-1) needed a late rally in the season opener to draw even with Dallas (8-3-1), which had the benefit of having 11 previous decisions on the season, including three consecutive wins and eight victories overall.
Trailing 2-1 entering the top of the ninth, Eureka lead off man Keith Moore (Hamilton, Ill./HS) drew a walk against Dallas reliever Tim Fogerty. Benji Cashdollar (Morton, Ill./HS) advanced Moore to second with a sacrifice, but the next batter fanned leaving the game in the hands of senior clean up man Mike Wagner (Chicago, Ill./St. Rita). Wagner proved up to the challenge as he delivered a clutch game-tying double to knot the score at two.
Having been deservedly taken off the hook after eight strong innings, Eureka starter Clay McConkey (Fairview, Ill./Spoon River Valley) was relieved by his younger brother Blake, who pitched around a one out walk with a strikeout and two fly outs to keep the game deadlocked at 2-2. The McConkeys held Dallas to two runs over nine innings, the Crusaders' lowest offensive output of the season. Clay went eight innings yielding two runs on seven hit and striking out four.
The Red Devils were out-hit on the day 7-3, but Dallas stranded eight runners on base. The Crusaders grabbed the lead in the opening stanza as the first three hitters reached base by way of a double, walk and RBI single. McConkey avoided further damage thanks to a fielder's choice that turned into a double play and a strikeout.
Another lead off double by Dallas in the fourth inning increased the lead to 2-0, but EC came right back in the fifth when Nick Knoblauch (Metamora, Ill./HS) drew a one out walk, stole second, went to third on an error and was knocked in by an RBI single by Kyle Koerner (LeRoy, Ill./HS).
Neither side mustered so much as a hit from the point Eureka climbed to within 2-1 in the top of the fifth until Wagner's game-tying double in the ninth.
Moore's walk in the ninth marked the only inning Eureka had its lead off man reach base safely. Eureka's last tied game was over 10 years ago. The tie also stopped an eight-game opening day losing streak for EC. The Red Devils' last opening day win was 9-3 over Fontbonne in 2000.
Dallas broke open a close game with an eight-run outburst in the sixth to take the first of two seven inning affairs on Sunday. Both contests ended up with 12-2 final scores, but arrived there under much different circumstances.
Neither squad scratched the hit column until one out in the top of the third when Tyler Glaub (Metamora, Ill./HS) reached safely with a single. A pair of walks loaded the bases for Benji Cashdollar, who moved EC ahead 1-0 with a scoring ground ball.
But after staking himself to the lead and going through the order once without surrendering a hit, Cashdollar issued two bases on balls before a run scoring single and a two-run double lifted Dallas to a 3-1 edge.
Eureka stranded two runners in scoring position in the fourth, but Nick Eeten (Eureka, Ill./HS) came through with a two-out RBI single in the fifth, his first hit in a Red Devil uniform, to close the deficit to 3-2.
The would unfortunately be as close as Eureka would get. Dallas picked up a single tally in the bottom of the fifth, then put the game away with eight runs on seven hits in the sixth.
Knoblauch, who finished the series at 4-for-7, went 2-for-3 in the game. The Crusaders failed to retire Tim Cashdollar (Morton, Ill./HS) as the sophomore first basemen carded a single and walk to help the EC offense.
Dallas' late surge in the first game carried over to the nightcap. The Crusaders' first nine batters of the game reached base during a seven run first inning that proved to be too much for the Eureka bats to overcome. Dallas took advantage of RBI chances, going 7-for-14 with runners in scoring position, while EC struggled to a 2-for-10 clip in the same situation.
Three Red Devils recorded their first collegiate hit. Jordan Burton (Auburn, Ill./HS) and Kaleb Gordon (Lincoln, Ill./HS) collaborated on Eureka's tally in the sixth. Burton led off with a single and was knocked in with two outs by Gordon. Charles Sadowski (Peoria, Ill./Limestone) notched his first hit in the seventh.
The Red Devils are scheduled to play a nine inning game Monday and a doubleheader Wednesday against Presentation College in Irving before returning home.
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For More Information Contact:
Bryan Moore
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