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For Immediate Releaseeureka, illinois
April 28, 2009
Eureka drops 6-4 decision in late innings against D-I Western Illinois
Following its roughest stretch of the 2009 season, the Eureka College baseball team regrouped against Division I opponent Western Illinois on the road Tuesday, pushing the hosts to the limit in a 6-4 loss. Four Red Devils recorded multi-hit games as Eureka out-hit the Leathernecks 9-8 and rallied from 3-0 deficit to take a 4-3 lead into the seventh.
Western Illinois (9-26) put together two hits to take advantage of a walk and hit batter in the second inning en route to a 3-0 lead. That would be all WIU could get off of Eureka starter Clay McConkey (Fairview, Ill./Spoon River Valley) through the first six frames, however. Throwing on just two days' rest, he allowed just two hits over the next four innings to give the Red Devils (6-21-1) time to mount a comeback.
Despite being shut down on only one hit over the first three innings, Eureka began to attack in the fourth with three hitters reaching base. Unfortunately, Nick Eeten's (Eureka, Ill./HS) line drive, perhaps the hardest hit ball of the stanza, was turned into a double play when it was gloved by the WIU third baseman. Shawn Songer (Bartonville, Ill./Limestone) ripped the first of his two doubles on the day to lead off the inning.
The Red Devils got their lead off man on base only twice in nine times at bat. The other occasion began a three-run outburst in the fifth as EC tied the game at 3-3. Eureka collected four hits in the rally, including back-to-back singles to set the table by Benji Cashdollar (Morton, Ill./HS) and Tyler Glaub (Metamora, Ill./HS). Playing less than an hour from his hometown, Keith Moore (Hamilton, Ill./HS) drove in the first Red Devils' run with a double down the right field line. He was not on second for long as the next batter, Songer, brought in two runs with a double to left that tied the count at three.
Cashdollar and Glaub collaborated on a two-out rally in the sixth to get Eureka its first lead of the game. Cashdollar lined his second hit up the middle, stole second and raced home on an RBI single by Glaub. The Red Devils held the 4-3 lead through the home-half of the frame as McConkey pitched around back-to-back WIU singles to begin the inning. He struck out two, including one on the front-end of a double play when catcher Nick Knoblauch (Metamora, Ill./HS) gunned down a stolen base attempt at third.
The same starting scenario played out in the Western Illinois seventh as a single and bunt hit placed runners on first and third with no outs. Blake McConkey (Fairview, Ill./Spoon River Valley) entered from the bullpen replacing his older brother to retire both hitters he faced in the inning. A sacrifice fly tied the game at 4-4, but a 4-6-3 double play ended the threat for more.
The key hit of the game came in the Western eighth. The Leathernecks again got their first two batters on base, but a failed bunt attempt left them on first and second with one out. Western's Curt Myers then hit a bouncing ball just over the first base bag that snuck into right field for an RBI double. The hit moved two into scoring position leading to a sacrifice fly that put WIU ahead 6-4. Austin Brough, the sixth hurler of the contest for Western, set down all six hitters he faced over the final two innings to earn the win.
Defensively, the Red Devils continued to play well. Eureka was not charged with an error for the third consecutive game. That is the longest errorless stretch for EC in over eight years.
Songer, Knoblauch, Cashdollar and Glaub each went 2-for-4 to trumpet the Eureka offense. Cashdollar scored two runs, while Songer drove in two. Knoblauch's two hits moved him into the club lead in batting with one game remaining. He also leads EC in multi-hit games with six. Clay McConkey received a no decision. He struck out four in six innings, allowing four runs on seven hits and three walks. The six runs scored by the Leathernecks were the fewest they have put on the board in seven games.
The Red Devils season finale is Wednesday, April 29 at SLIAC rival Fontbonne University in a make-up from a rain-out April 10. The Griffins split a doubleheader at EC earlier this season. Eureka won the first 4-2 and Fontbonne won the second 4-3 with four runs on the last inning. The Griffins are in the middle of a headed conference playoff race, currently tied for third place.
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For More Information Contact:
Bryan Moore
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