Greenville Survives Dura’s Historic Day For Tuesday Sweep
GREENVILLE, Ill. – Kerrigan Dura (Edwards, Ill./Brimfield H.S.) clubbed her 49th collegiate double in game one to break the Eureka College softball program's all-time record and later belted a two-run home run in the nightcap to set the Red Devils' all-time RBI mark at 109, but preseason St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference favorite Greenville rallied in both ends of Tuesday's league doubleheader to sweep the Red Devils in Greenville, Ill. The Panthers won the opener, 8-4, and also prevailed in game two, 5-4.
Dura broke the previous Eureka doubles record of 48 established by Allyson Carter (1994-97). Dura's 109 career RBI bested Jami Larson's (1990-93) mark of 108. Additionally, Dura's career batting average of .487 remains an all-time Eureka record and her 151 hits are fifth-most in school history, 33 shy of Carter's program record of 185.
Eureka fell to 13-5 overall and 5-3 in league action.
Game 1: Greenville 8, EC 4
Gabby Wood (Bartonville, Ill./Limestone H.S.) hit safely three times in the opener, including her second home run in three days and a game-high three RBI. Courtney Kurtz (Minooka, Ill./Minooka H.S.) also had three hits and Krysten Wallace (Bartonville, Ill./Limestone H.S.) added a 2-for-4 effort.
Wood's sacrifice fly allowed the Red Devils to grab a 1-0 lead in the top of the first inning. The EC lead remained one until GU broke out for a six-run third inning. Josie Koontz's RBI infield single knotted the score at 1-1 and Becca Oldham pushed the Panthers to a 2-1 cushion with a run-scoring single to left. Greenville sent 10 batters to the plate during the rally and compiled seven hits.
The Panthers' lead ballooned to 8-1 in the fourth on Oldham's RBI hit, but the Panthers inadvertently hit out of order in their lineup to help douse the rally.
Danielle Brittain (Eureka, Ill./Eureka H.S.) pulled EC within 8-2 with an RBI double to the fence in the top of the sixth. In the seventh, Dura's record-breaking double set the table for Wood, whose second collegiate bomb pulled Eureka within 8-4. Back-to-back two-out singles later in the frame brought the tying run to the on-deck circle, but Adrianna Zeman's (La Salle, Ill./La Salle-Peru H.S.) sharp liner up the middle was snared by GU hurler Caitie Opp for the game's final out.
Game 2: Greenville 5, EC 4
Wood continued her mid-season onslaught with a 4-for-4 effort and a pair of triples in game two. Morgan Osborn (Washington, Ill./Washington H.S.) went 3-for-4 out of the leadoff slot.
Osborn singled to start the top of the first inning and Dura followed with her seventh career home run for a 2-0 lead.
The hosts pulled even in the bottom of the second thanks to consecutive RBI singles from Megan Barrett and Jordyn Wieland. Back-to-back home runs by Oldham and Kate Joliff Rosada highlighted GU's three-run third inning that pushed the Panthers to a 5-2 cushion.
Eureka slashed its deficit to one in the top of the sixth. Osborn's two-out triple into the gap plated Brittain and Wallace followed with an RBI single to score Osborn.
The Red Devils nearly tied the game in the seventh. Wood started the frame with an infield single and later moved to second base on a sacrifice bunt. Allison Cagley (Fairbury, Ill./Prairie Central H.S.) flew out to right field for the second out of the inning before confusion reigned over the final sequence. When Wood attempted to tag up and advance to third, the Panthers immediately threw to second base in an effort to double off Wood for the final out. After no initial signal, the home plate umpire ruled from his position behind the plate Wood left early and was doubled off for the final out. After quickly clearing the field, GU defenders briefly began to return to their positions amidst the confusion. The call ultimately stood and the game was over.
Up Next
Eureka will continue its six-game SLIAC road trip that is scheduled to include nearly 1,000 miles traveled in five days when the Red Devils visit Iowa Wesleyan Thursday for a 1:30 p.m. doubleheader.