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For Immediate Releaseeureka, illinois
April 29, 2009
Moore homers in final career AB, Knoblauch takes EC batting title
The 2009 Eureka College baseball season came to a close with a 10-4 loss to conference rival Fontbonne University on the road Wednesday. It was somewhat of a merciful end to a campaign that never saw the ball bounce the Red Devils' way as EC posted a 1-7 mark in one-run or extra inning games.
The Griffins (20-16, 11-9 SLIAC) tallied eight of their 10 runs and eight of their 13 hits in the first three innings as they built an 8-2 lead. Accounting for Eureka's (6-22-1, 6-15 SLIAC) two runs was Keith Moore (Hamilton, Ill./HS), who led the Red Devils offensively in SLIAC competition with a .345 batting average, .472 on base percentage, five home runs, 20 runs batted in and 16 runs scored in 19 games played. Moore crushed his fifth homer of the season in the third inning for Eureka's first hit of the game. It was his sixth multi-RBI game of the year, which also led the team. Scoring ahead of him on the play was Mike Hammerstrand (Bloomington, Ill./HS), who had drawn a walk and stole second earlier.
Benji Cashdollar (Morton, Ill./HS) was summoned to the mound in the third inning, and went on to pitch 5.1 strong innings of relief in his final game for EC. The senior southpaw allowed just two runs on five hits and no walks while striking out three.
The Eureka club batting race went down to the final game. Senior Nick Knoblauch (Metamora, Ill./HS) went into the contest with a slim two-point lead. After being retired his first two times up, Knoblauch collected an RBI single in the sixth to give him just enough to end with the highest batting average on the team. It was his fifth consecutive game with a base hit. His single brought in Clay McConkey (Fairview, Ill./Spoon River Valley), who had led off the frame with a single.
Eureka's final run of the season came in the eighth when Blake McConkey (Fairview, Ill./Spoon River Valley) clubbed a run-scoring double to send Cashdollar to the plate. It marked McConkey's first career hit and RBI as a Red Devil.
Eureka featured an evenly distributed attack this season with six players finishing within 10 points of the team batting title. Other team category leaders in addition to the accomplishments of Moore and Knoblauch were Shawn Songer (Bartonville, Ill./Limestone), who led the team with six doubles, Tyler Glaub (Metamora, Ill./HS), who swiped a team-high nine stolen bases, Mike Wagner (Chicago, Ill./St. Rita), who strung together the longest hitting streak at six games, Kyle Koerner (LeRoy, Ill./HS), who hit .344 in SLIAC play, Benji Cashdollar, who posted a team-best 3-3 pitching record and Clay McConkey, who led the staff in innings pitched (59), strikeouts (59) and earned run average (5.64).
Eureka head coach Mike McDonald will present awards from the season at the annual E-Tribe Spring Sports Banquet to be held at 6:00 pm on Wednesday, May 6 in the Terrill Rooms of the Cerf Center.
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For More Information Contact:
Bryan Moore
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