Notebook: Red Devils Look Again to Home Opener

Eureka slugged six home runs, Kali George became the third pitcher in program history to win 40 games in the circle and the Red Devils opened the SLIAC schedule with a sweep for the fourth consecutive season in last Wednesday's big league victories over Blackburn in Carlinville, Ill. Eureka won the opener, 13-7, and followed with a 10-3 triumph in game two.

 

Kerrigan Dura came up big for the Red Devils in the opener, going 4-for-5 with a home run, two doubles and five RBI. Morgan Osborn and George also homered in the game-one win, helping the Red Devils record a season-high 17 hits as a team en route to their largest run total since a 21-0 win at Principia on April 1, 2017.

 

The Red Devils had 11 hits in the second game of the twin bill, led by two-hit efforts from Osborn, Dura, Kurtz and Danielle Brittain. George and Brittain each drove in three runs. Krysten Wallace walked four times and her all-time program record now stands at 69.

 

Eureka's doubleheaders scheduled for last Saturday against Webster and last Sunday against Rose-Hulman were postponed after a snowstorm slammed Woodford County. The twin bill against the Gorloks has been rescheduled for Tuesday, March 24 at 2 p.m. and the games against Fightin' Engineers are set for Sunday, April 15 at 1 p.m.

 

Senior shortstop Kerrigan Dura has been selected SLIAC Hitter of the Week, league office announced Monday. The announcement marks Dura's fourth career SLIAC Hitter of the Week award.

 

Dura went 6-for-10 at the plate in last Wednesday's SLIAC sweep at Blackburn, driving in five runs and scoring three times. Through 86 games, Dura's career batting average of .485 remains the highest in Eureka softball history and ranks fourth among active players in NCAA Division III. She has 99 career RBI and needs one more run batted in to become just the third player in program history to reach 100 in a career. Additionally, Dura needs 10 more RBI to break the Red Devils' all-time mark of 108 held by Jami Larson (1990-93) and Dura's 44 career doubles are also nearing the Eureka record of 48 set by Allyson Carter (1994-97).

 

Monday rainfall resulting in muddy field conditions forced the postponement of two more doubleheaders earlier this week. Tuesday's games against Knox in Galesburg were postponed and rescheduled for Friday, April 6 at 3:30 p.m. in Galesburg.

 

The Red Devils' SLIAC twin bill scheduled for Wednesday in Mount Pleasant, Iowa against Iowa Wesleyan was also washed out. The games against the Tigers have been rescheduled for Thursday, April 12 at 1:30 p.m.

 

In all, Eureka has been forced to reschedule eight games since March 24.

 

Eureka's 10-2 record in 2018 equals the Red Devils' mark through 12 games in 2016 as the program's best start to a season since EC roared to an 11-1 record in 1990 en route to a school-record 30 victories.

 

This season, Eureka has outscored its opponents 71-28, put up a .313 team batting average and a 2.10 team ERA.

 

Senior center fielder Krysten Wallace has opened the spring 14-for-29 for a team-best .483 batting average. Along with a team-high 12 walks in 43 total plate appearances, the Bartonville, Ill. native ranks 18th in the country with a .634 on-base percentage. Another Limestone graduate, freshman utility player Gabby Wood, owns a .438 average and sophomore catcher Morgan Osborn hits .410 with with 12 RBI to lead the Red Devils. In all, six of Eureka's regulars hit .316 or better and four different players get on base at least 46 percent of the time.

 

In the circle, sophomore right-hander Erin Smith has raced to a 4-0 record behind a 1.48 ERA, a pair of shutouts and a save. The Dunlap High School graduate limits opposing hitters to a .205 batting average over 33.0 innings. Senior right-hander Kali George continues her march to the all-time Eureka wins record, starting 2018 with a 4-2 mark and a 2.24 ERA over 34.1 innings. George's 40 career victories third-most in program history and five shy of equaling the all-time Eureka record of 45 held by Tina Sharp (1993-96).

 

VS. PRINCIPIA (Saturday DH, 11 a.m.)

After inclement weather forced Eureka's home openers to be postponed multiple times earlier this month, the Red Devils will try again to play on their home field when Principia comes to town Saturday for an 11 a.m. SLIAC doubleheader.

 

The Panthers are winless in 2018, dropping both games of a doubleheader to NAIA Crowley's Ridge (Ark.) on March 15 and being swept in a four-game series at NCCAA St. Katherine (Calif.) March 19-20.

 

Principia hits just .214 (24-for-112) as a team, led by Leah Schaefer's .500 (6-for-12) mark through 12 at-bats.

 

Three pitchers have combined for a 14.81 ERA. Schaefer has seen the most action, logging 17.0 innings and tossing three complete games.

 

Ken Leavoy, a 1975 graduate of Principia, is in his ninth season in the dugout in Elsah. The 2011 SLIAC Coach of the Year, Leavoy is 43-196 directing PC. In addition to his responsibilities with the Panthers, Leavoy serves as an assistant coach for the Canadian Women's National Team.

 

Eureka is 19-0 against Principia since 1995, including a 17-0 record in the series since the Panthers revived their softball program prior to the 2010 season. The Red Devils swept last season's doubleheader in Elsah, 4-3 in game one and 21-0 in game two.