Three Red Devils Named to All-SLIAC First Team

ST. CHARLES, Mo. – Eureka College sophomore shortstop Kerrigan Dura (Edwards, Ill./Brimfield H.S.), junior utility player Kali George (East Peoria, Ill./East Peoria H.S.) and junior outfielder Krysten Wallace (Bartonville, Ill./Limestone H.S.) have been named to the All-St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference First Team, according to a Friday announcement from SLIAC Commissioner Angie Morenz at the league tournament in St. Charles, Mo.

All three Red Devils are repeat honorees. Dura is the first player in EC's SLIAC softball history to earn First Team honors in consecutive seasons and George joins Cathy Kalnicky and former teammate Savanna Tapper as the only Eureka softball players to be named to the All-SLIAC Team in at least three different seasons.

Dura finished her second collegiate season as the SLIAC regular-season batting champion, going 31-for-63 in 18 starts at shortstop for a .492 average. She added 22 runs scored, six doubles, a triple, two home runs, 13 RBI and a stolen base. She added seven walks and didn't strike out in 71 total plate appearances against SLIAC pitching. Her totals of 31 hits and 22 runs scored also led the league. She was named SLIAC Hitter of the Week on March 13.

A preseason All-American in 2017, Dura already makes several appearances in EC's career record book after just 74 games. She ranks second all-time at Eureka with 39 doubles, fifth with 91 RBI, ninth with 126 hits and ninth with 80 runs scored.

George was a dual threat for EC, splitting her time between the pitcher's circle and second base. She hit .349 in 66 league plate appearances and put up a 4-5 record in the circle with a 2.76 ERA over 58.1 innings pitched. Offensively, George owned or shared the team lead with 63 at bats, six doubles and 20 RBI. She also scored nine runs, homered once and slugged at a .492 clip.

In the circle, she struck out 26 hitters and walked only nine over 58.1 innings of work. George was a two-time SLIAC Pitcher of the Week in 2017, earning the honor on March 27 and again on April 24. She'll enter her senior season in 2018 with 36 career wins, fourth-most in program history and nine shy of equaling Tina Sharp's all-time program record of 45.

Wallace came on strong to have a fantastic second half of the season and finished the 18-game SLIAC slate with 15 hits and a .341 average. She added nine walks for a .473 on-base percentage and ranked second among conference hitters with five sacrifice hits. The EC center fielder led the team with three stolen bases in conference competition. Wallace was chosen SLIAC Hitter of the Week on April 24.

Like Dura and George, Wallace already makes an appearance in the EC record book. Her 20th and final walk of the season at Knox on April 25 gave her 57 for her three-year career, tying Stephanie Mullens for the all-time Eureka record.

Additionally, freshman Courtney Kurtz (Minooka, Ill./Minooka H.S.) was Eureka representative on the SLIAC All-Sportsmanship Team. One player from all 10 teams is nominated by their head coaches for the honor. Eureka was also selected by the league coaches as the recipient of the 2017 SLIAC Team Sportsmanship award.

Eureka finished the 2017 season with a 21-15 overall record and a 9-9 SLIAC record. Fifth-year head coach Debi Neff won her 100th collegiate game at Knox on April 25. Coupled with last season's 29-win team, EC has won 20 games or more in consecutive seasons for the first time since doing it three times in a row from 1994 through 1996.