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For Immediate Release
April 6, 2010
Illinois College Sweeps Twinbill From Red Devils
JACKSONVILLE, Ill. – Eureka College freshman outfielder Lauren Kao (Normal, Ill./Normal Community H.S.) fell a single short of the cycle with five RBI and her second career home run, but Eureka’s three-run seventh inning wasn’t enough to complete a rally in an 11-10 loss in game two of a doubleheader against Illinois College, Tuesday afternoon in Jacksonville, Ill. The Lady Blues used a quick start to win the opener, 9-2.
In game two, Eureka fell behind 3-0 but started chipping away at its deficit. Kao drilled a two-run triple in the top of the second inning to score Jill Doty (Metamora, Ill./Metamora H.S./Illinois Central) and Sarah Jesse (Mackinaw, Ill./Bloomington H.S.) to make the score 3-2 in favor of Illinois College. The Red Devils took their first lead of the doubleheader two innings later when reigning SLIAC Player of the Week Cathy Kalnicky (Bolingbrook, Ill./Plainfield H.S.) hit a two-run double to push Eureka in front, 4-3.
An RBI groundout from Tomi Tapper (East Peoria, Ill./East Peoria H.S.) made it 5-3 in the fifth before the hosts exploded for seven runs in the bottom of the inning and a 10-5 advantage. The first three batters of the inning reached on a Eureka error before the Lady Blues put together six consecutive hits, including two doubles, to break the game open.
Eureka fought back with two more runs in the sixth behind RBIs from Kao and Allie Trainer (Manito, Ill./Midwest Central H.S.). The hosts scored one insurance run in the sixth to make it 11-7 before Eureka’s final rally in the seventh. Kao hit a three-run home run with two outs to bring the Red Devils within a run at 11-10, but Illinois College relief pitcher Sara Reichart recorded a strikeout to end the game with the tying run at the plate.
Kao had the best game of her collegiate career, going 3-for-5 with a double, triple, home run and five runs batted in. She also scored two runs. Kalnicky also collected three hits and drove in three. Carissa Alig (Metamora, Ill./Metamora H.S.) and Heather Skelton (Harvard, Ill./Alden-Hebron H.S.) each went 2-for-4 in the loss.
In the opener, Illinois College scored five times in the first inning, all with two outs, to jump to an early lead. The Lady Blues added two more in the second before Tapper and Jesse answered with RBI singles in the fourth inning to draw the Red Devils within five runs at 7-2. The offense was short-lived, as IC plated two more runs in the sixth to set the final score at 9-2.
Eureka will return to St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference play Thursday at home against MacMurray at 3 p.m. Eureka handed the Highlanders a 3-0 defeat in Springfield on March 27.
The Red Devils will wear special pink uniforms when they host their “Go to Bat For Breast Cancer” event for Susan G. Komen For the Cure this Saturday. Raffle tickets for gift basket will be sold, donations will be accepted and “Go to Bat For Breast Cancer” t-shirts will be sold with proceeds going to Susan G. Komen For the Cure. The softball team will recognize all cancer survivors between games. Any person in the Eureka College community that would like to be a part of the event should contact head coach Stacey Sparks at ssparks@eureka.edu.
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For More Information Contact:
Bryan Moore
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