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For Immediate Release
Softball -- April 30, 2011
Red Devils Drop Two on Senior Day
EUREKA, Ill. – The Eureka College softball team celebrated its annual Senior Day on Saturday, recognizing third baseman Jill Doty (Metamora, Ill./Metamora H.S.) during a ceremony between games of a St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference doubleheader versus Spalding, but the Golden Eagles swept both games from the Red Devils with a 5-3 win in game one and an 8-3 triumph in the nightcap.
Spalding jumped in front in game one, taking a 2-0 lead on a two-run double from third baseman Katie Phillips in the second inning after the Golden Eagles recorded back-to-back hits to start the inning. The Red Devils cut into their deficit to 2-1 in the fourth inning when Doty ripped an RBI single up the middle to score freshman first baseman Amanda Murphy (Manteno, Ill./Manteno H.S.).
The visitors tried to put the game out of reach in the fifth inning, stretching their lead to 5-1. Two runs scored on a single from Phillips before Hannah Stucker added an RBI single. Eureka answered with two runs of its own in the bottom half of the inning. Junior starting pitcher Sarah Jesse (Mackinaw, Ill./Bloomington H.S.) slapped an RBI single to score freshman Emily Campbell (Pontiac, Ill./Pontiac H.S.) and freshman outfielder Caty Eeten (Eureka, Ill./Eureka H.S./Illinois Central) followed up with another run-scoring single, but a flyout ended the threat with the tying run stranded at first base.
With the 5-3 lead, Spalding starting pitcher Rena Philpot allowed a hit in the seventh but ended the game on a groundout with the tying run standing in the batter’s box.
Eureka center fielder Sara Hamilton (Washington, Ill./Washington H.S./Illinois Central) went singled three times to carry the Red Devils’ lineup. Phillips and Peyton French each had two hits for the visitors.
Eureka turned the tables to strike first in game two, plating a pair of runs in its first at-bat of the game. Eeten led off the game with a bunt single and eventually moved to third on a two-base throwing error by Phillips. She scored on Hamilton’s sacrifice fly three batters later before Murphy singled home Carissa Alig (Metamora, Ill./Metamora H.S.) for the 2-0 advantage.
The Eureka lead was 3-1 before Spalding took its first lead of the game in the bottom of the third. Starting pitcher Tia McIntosh pushed the Golden Eagles in front when her single scored Amanda Zwicker for a 4-3 advantage, the third run Spalding run of the inning.
Spalding took advantage of some shaky Eureka defense in the fourth to further extend its lead. After Shelby Pfaadt bunted into a double play, Stucker singled in front of Peyton French, who skyed a pop fly in the Eureka infield. The Red Devils couldn’t make the catch and fired the ensuing bouncing ball into the outfield, allowing both Stucker and French to score unearned runs for a 6-3 advantage.
The lead was more than enough for Spalding reliever Liz Schooler, who allowed only two hits in Eureka’s final three at-bats to help the Golden Eagles end their SLIAC schedule with an 11-5 record.
Eeten had two hits and a run scored for the Red Devils out of the leadoff spot and also allowed only three earned runs over 6.0 innings as Eureka’s starting pitcher.
The Red Devils will close the regular season Monday, hosting a SLIAC makeup doubleheader against Greenville at 3 p.m. in Eureka. The Red Devils must sweep both games from the Panthers to earn a spot in next week’s SLIAC Tournament in Ferguson, Mo.
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For More Information Contact:
Bryan Moore
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