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For Immediate Releaseeureka, illinois
April 15, 2009
Panthers latest beneficiary of Red Devils' snake-Bitten ways
If Eureka College's St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference schedule was for horseshoes, the Red Devils would be in great shape. As it is, Eureka's series of one or two run losses to league foes have made for an exciting, yet frustrating season thus far. The state of affairs did not improve any in Wednesday's doubleheader versus Greenville College, either, as the Red Devils gave up a run in the last inning of a 5-4 loss in game one, then fell 10-0 to the Panthers in the nightcap.
The one-run loss in game one was already the Red Devils' (6-13-1, 6-7 SLIAC) fifth by one or two runs in SLIAC play. Eureka's only other loss besides the 10-0 defeat in game two against Greenville (6-21, 4-9 SLIAC) came in extra innings by seven runs.
The player that most exemplifies the Red Devils' season thus far is freshman pitcher Blake McConkey (Fairview, Ill./Spoon River Valley). He leads the team with a 3.38 ERA, and has not allowed more than four earned runs in any of his five starts. Yet, the snake-bitten righthander is still looking for his first collegiate win after his record dropped to 0-3 when he suffered the loss in game one against Greenville.
McConkley tossed all seven innings against the Panthers, striking out three and walking one. He allowed eight hits and five runs (three earned.
Greenville struck for two runs in the top of the first, but Eureka rallied to tie the game in the bottom of the second. Greenville committed two errors in the frame, helping Mike Wagner (Chicago, Ill./St. Rita), who singled to lead off the threat, reach third with no outs. Wagner came home with the first EC run on a nice squeeze bunt by Tyler Glaub (Metamora, Ill./HS). Later, Shawn Songer (Bartonville, Ill./Limestone) scored on a throwing error by the Panthers' shortstop to knot the score at 2-2.
The Panthers put together a two-out rally to move ahead 4-2 in the fourth. They collected three hits and a base on balls all after the first to batters had been retired.
However, the Red Devils again battled back to pull even. Keith Moore (Hamilton, Ill./HS) lined an RBI single just inside of first base to get EC within 4-3, but Glaub, who had doubled earlier in the inning, was thrown out at home trying to tie the game. The Red Devils had another runner gunned down at the plate in the fifth, but not before Wagner delivered an RBI single up the middle to send Nick Knoblauch (Metamora, Ill./HS) home with the equalizer.
The game stayed deadlocked at 4-4 until the seventh when Mike Scott led off with a double for Greenville, went to third on a wild pitch, and scored what turned out to be the winning tally on a Brian Stoff sacrifice fly to left field. It was a play eerily similar to the final play of Eureka's 4-3 loss to Fontbonne just four days earlier when the potential tying run for EC was called out at home. The Red Devils were again on the short end, this time in the field as the throw was bobbled and the runner was called safe.
Matt Leefers pitched a perfect bottom of the seventh for Greenville to earn the save in relief. Eight different Red Devils found the hit column and EC out-hit the Panthers 9-8 led by the 2-for-3 effort of Wagner. Songer was one of seven others with one hit, and scored two runs.
In game two, Daniel Covert tossed a one-hit shutout to carry the Panthers to their fourth consecutive victory. The Red Devils had their chances to get on the board as they drew six walks, but they went 0-for-9 with runners in scoring position and stranded all nine runners they had on base.
Greenville tallied two runs in the first and three in the second, taking advantage of some uncharacteristic defensive lapses by EC. The Panthers enjoyed the benefit of four unearned runs scored against Eureka starter Benji Cashdollar (Morton, Ill./HS), who suffered his first loss since March 8.
Kyle Koerner (LeRoy, Ill./HS) recorded the only hit for the Red Devils, giving the senior shortstop a hit in four consecutive games.
Eureka will return to the diamond in SLIAC play later Thursday, April 16 at 4:00 pm against Maryville University in St. Louis. The Saints are currently in second place in the conference standings, but have lost three of their last four contests.
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For More Information Contact:
Bryan Moore
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