For Immediate Release

eureka, illinois

April 18, 2008

Red Devils explode for 5 runs in extra innings to split twin bill

Boxscores: Game 1 | Game 2

EUREKA — Eureka's five runs in extra innings earned the Red Devils a split on the day versus Greenville College in St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference action Thursday.  Greenville won the first game 6-4 and EC won game two 7-3 in eight innings.  It was the first extra inning game of the season for Eureka, and the Red Devils' first extra inning win since April 12, 2005 versus Aurora.

Although Greenville (12-11, 6-4 SLIAC) jumped out to an early 5-1 lead, the Red Devils (11-11, 4-4 SLIAC) had their chances to steal the opening tilt.  But, Eureka hit .188 (3-for-16) with runners on base compared to .467 (7-for-15) for the Panthers.

Cara Wagner started the game for Greenville with an inside the park homer, but EC came back to tie the game on a sacrifice fly hit by Nicole Pitts (Pekin, Ill./HS) in the second inning that brought Natalie Lardi
(S. Wilmington, Ill./Gardner-S. Wilmington) home.  Lardi had led off the frame with a double.

Greenville responded with four consecutive hits to begin the top of the third, which led to a four-run rally and a 5-1 Greenville margin.

It did not take long for the Red Devils to get back in the game, however, as Emily Forbes (Bourbonnais, Ill./Bradley-Bourbonnais) drove an RBI double to right center to spur a three-run Eureka outburst.  Forbes later used her great agility to score after being caught in a rundown between third and home after a ground ball to the shortstop.  Cathy Kalnicky (Bolingbrook, Ill./Plainfield) capped the rally with a two-out run scoring single to left that sliced Greenville's advantage to 5-4.

Eureka generated a golden opportunity to tie or take the lead in the fourth after Jill Doty (Metamora, Ill./HS) and Brittany Gardner (Mooresville, Ind./HS) singled and Forbes drew a walk with one out.  But after two ground outs, the side was retired with the score still sitting at 5-4.

After the Panthers added a key insurance run in the top of the seventh, the Red Devils still had one more chance to swipe the win away in their last at bat.  Eureka got the potential tying run to second base with no outs after Brandi Payne (Eureka, Ill./HS) led off with a single and Molly Wolber (Rock Falls, Ill./HS) made it to second base on an error.  However, after a strikeout, Lardi hit into some bad luck as her liner was snagged by the shortstop, who doubled Payne off third to end the game.

The nightcap boiled down to a close, well pitched game between Abby Segal (Peoria, Ill./Limestone) of Eureka and Amanda Davison of Greenville.  This time, it was the Panthers who struggled to find the clutch hits, batting just .167 (3-for-18) with runners on base.

Hitting first due to league rules, the Red Devils built a 2-0 advantage with single tallies in the third and fourth.  EC took the lead with a two-out rally in the top of the third stanza as Wolber singled and raced around the bases after Kalnicky crushed a double deep to left.  A lead off walk to Pitts led to Eureka's second run.  She eventually scored on an error with two outs.

Davison helped her cause in the bottom of the fourth by dunking a two-run single into shallow center.  Her hit tied the game at 2-2, and it stayed that way through the end of regulation play despite some tense moments for both sides in the seventh.

The Red Devils had two runners on in the top of the frame, but Lardi was again victimized by a line drive double play.  Greenville put runners on second and third in the bottom of the third, but Lardi speared a line drive off the bat of the Panthers' leading hitter, Talitha Engelhardt, to save the game.

Lardi was placed on second to begin the eighth inning according to softball tie-breaker rules, and scored the go-ahead run on an RBI single hit by Nicole Ropp (Minonk, Ill./Fieldcrest).  Doty later singled with one out before Gardner recorded her third consecutive hit to load the bases.  The knock out punch came on the next play.  Forbes circled the bases thanks to a two-run single to right and two throwing errors by the Panthers. 
A total of four runs scored on the play, giving EC a decisive 7-2 edge.

Segal carded her seventh victory of the season, allowing three runs (two earned) on seven hits, two walks and six strikeouts in eight innings.  Combined in the two games, Gardner led EC with four hits and Forbes had three RBI.

The Red Devils are next scheduled to square off with the Saints of Maryville University in St. Louis Saturday, April 19 in a SLIAC twin bill starting at 1:00 pm.

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For More Information Contact:

Brian Sullivan
Sports Information Director
Eureka College
300 E. College Avenue
Eureka, Illinois 61530
309-467-6456
bsullivan@eureka.edu