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For Immediate Releaseeureka, illinois
April 26, 2009
Koerner, Moore homer as 6 Red Devils are honored on senior day
Visiting Webster University moved to within one game of the first perfect conference baseball record the SLIAC has seen in 12 years with a three-game weekend series sweep of Eureka College. The Gorloks won by scores of 19-4, 13-3 and 16-6, but the losses were not the result of poor play by the Red Devils. Eureka was charged with just one error total in the three games. Instead, it was the relentless Webster attack that was able to take full advantage of gusty winds blowing out of Henry Sand Field that helped the Gorloks set a league record for conference wins in a season.
Webster (26-11, 23-0 SLIAC) lofted 11 homers over the fence in sweeping a doubleheader Saturday, then came back with four more round-trippers to win 16-6 Sunday. The power surge was nothing new for the Gorloks as they have now hit 54 homers on the season, compared to just 17 hit but their opponents. Eureka (6-20-1, 6-14 SLIAC) had only given up 15 long balls in 24 games coming into the series.
Two of the three final scores are a bit misleading as Webster was able to tag the Eureka bullpen for six runs to break open a 7-3 score late in game two, and a seven run sixth turned a 9-6 ball game into a comfortable 16-6 final for Webster in the third game.
In each game, the Red Devils were backed into a corner by early Webster runs, but rather than back down immediately, they fought back to make a game of it each time.
In game one, Joe Biagini clubbed a pair of three-run shots to put Webster out to a 6-0 lead going to the bottom of the third. Eureka got on the board with some power of its own thanks to two-run shots off the bat of Keith Moore (Hamilton, Ill./HS) and Kyle Koerner (LeRoy, Ill./HS). The home runs will go down as a sweet memory for both Moore and Koerner, who were among six Red Devils honored before the game as part of Senior Day. For Moore, it was his fourth of the season, giving him the team lead in homers and runs batted in with four and 19 respectively.
The Red Devils went on to collect 11 hits in the opening contest, their most in a game since March 25. It also ranks as the second most hits Webster has allowed in 23 conference games this season. The first three hitters in the EC lineup, Moore, Shawn Songer (Bartonville, Ill./Limestone) and Koerner combined to go 6-for-11 in the game with three runs and four RBIs. Tim Cashdollar (Morton, Ill./HS) was also able to reach base repeatedly, going 1-for-1 with two walks. Unfortunately, Eureka's on base percentage leader would be forced out of game two due to injury.
The second game did not go too well for the rest of the Red Devils, either. Eureka was held to two hits in the game, but made the most of them. Two other seniors recognized before the action tied game two at 1-1 in the bottom of the second. Tyler Glaub (Metamora, Ill./HS) lined an RBI single to right field to bring in Benji Cashdollar (Morton, Ill./HS), who had walked and stole second ahead of him.
After Webster jumped back ahead 4-1, it would be senior catcher Nick Knoblauch (Metamora, Ill./HS) bringing Eureka back into it in the bottom of the third with an RBI single to left that brought in Songer. That made the score 4-3 as Moore had crossed the plate earlier in the frame on an RBI grounder by Nick Eeten (Eureka, Ill./HS).
The Gorloks added a single tally in the fourth, then two more in the fifth. Eureka was able to stay within four runs until a six-run Gorlok outburst in the seventh gave the visitors a cushy 13-3 advantage.
Sunday's series finale had more bright spots for the Eureka offense. The Red Devils plated six runs on the Gorloks, who had allowed more than five runs in a game just once in their last 19 SLIAC contests. Eureka hit first due to conference rules, and hopped out to a 1-0 lead in the opening frame. Moore led off the game with a double and was able to score from second on a nice sacrifice bunt by Songer. The throw to first was into the running lane, resulting in Songer crashing into the first basemen, which allowed Moore to steam toward the place safely.
Webster hit three doubles in its half of the first to grab the lead, and eventually went ahead 6-1 before committing four errors in the fourth inning. Eureka had two hits during the four-run rally in the frame. The first was a Knoblauch double and the second was an RBI singe by senior Mike Wagner (Chicago, Ill./St. Rita). Two runs scored on the hit, while a third was added when Wagner tagged up on a sacrifice fly by Glaub. Eeten capped the rally by coming home on a balk.
With Webster clinging to a 6-5 lead going into the bottom of the fourth, Craig Schaefer, who knocked in seven runs on the day, cracked a three-run homer to stake the Gorloks to a 9-5 edge.
The Red Devils got right back on the board in the fifth with a double by Songer and RBI ground ball by Koerner that closed the gap to 9-6. Webster was fortunate to get out of the inning giving up just one run as Moore rocketed a ball off the glove of the first baseman right to the second baseman, whose throw nipped Moore at first with the pitcher covering to lead off.
Eureka's best bullpen arm recently has been Eeten. He has allowed one run in his last three appearances spanning 6.2 innings. He tossed 1.2 scoreless innings against Webster, stranding one runner in the fourth and two in the fifth. Despite his efforts, the Red Devils were not able to chip into the three-run deficit. Webster then attacked for seven tallies in the sixth to put the game on ice.
Moore continued his solid hitting, going 2-for-3. He has scored at least one run in five of Eureka's last six games. Knoblauch was 1-for-1 with a walk, while Songer and Wagner had a run and RBI each. The Red Devils played errorless ball in back-to-back games for the first time since April 14 of 2008.
Eureka's final two home games of the season versus Maryville University set for Monday, April 27 were canceled due to the threat of bad weather. The Red Devils have two games remaining on the season, both on the road. They will travel to Western Illinois University Tuesday, April 28 for a 3:30 first pitch, then to Fontbonne University to end the season Wednesday, April 29 at Noon.
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For More Information Contact:
Bryan Moore
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