Red Devils Start Off Spring Break Trip 2-0
NAPLES, Fla. – The Eureka softball opened its 2024 spring break trip with a pair of strong wins on Monday.
First, the Red Devils rallied late to knock off Wisconsin-Superior, 8-7, and then they took care of North Central (Minn.) with a 14-4 win in five innings.
Eureka 8, Wisconsin-Superior 7
Trailing 6-3 heading into the final inning, Eureka pieced together a five-run rally in the top of the seventh to overtake Wisconsin-Superior with three outs to go.
The Yellowjackets plated a run and put the game-winning run at the plate in the bottom half, but Eureka sophomore pitcher Claire Wuethrich (Peoria, Ill./Peoria Christian) recorded the final out to notch the win in the circle.
The Red Devils finished with eight runs on 15 hits, with five of each coming in the final frame. All five came with two outs.
Gada Bryant (Westville, Ill./Westville/Lincoln) started the rally with a one-out single and advanced to second on a fielder's choice by Macey Whisker (Washington, Ill./Washington/Illinois Central College). After that, pinch-hitter Alshlyn Voyles (Farmer City, Ill./Farmer City) singled to put two on and KayLee Holchauch (Arcola, Ill./Arcola/Lincoln) walked to load the bases.
Junior Mackenzie Daniels (Monticello, Ill./Monticello) then drew a bases-loaded walk to make it a two-run game, and Bria Wessel (Peoria, Ill./Limestone) and Kloe Wheeler (Farmington, Ill./Farmington Central) delivered back-to-back RBI doubles to put the Red Devils on top.
Wessel led the Red Devils at the plate, going 3-for-4 with two doubles and three RBI. Bryant was 3-for-3 with a double, while Wheeler went 2-for-4 with a double and two RBI.
Delaney Douglas (Sugar Grove, Ill./Kaneland) contributed a pair of hits as well, while Whisker and Klaire Morris (Billings, Mont./Billings Skyview) each had a stolen base.
Daniels put the Red Devils on the board with an RBI single in the first inning after Whisker led off with a single, stole second and moved to third on a single by Morris. The Yellowjackets answered with a game-tying run in the bottom half, and then took a 4-1 lead with a productive second inning.
Eureka got two back with back-to-back RBI doubles by Wessel and Wheeler in the third to make it a one-run game, but then Wisconsin-Superior added another in the fourth and the sixth innings, respectively.
The Red Devils didn't lead again until their bats came alive, just at the right time.
Eureka 14, North Central (Minn.) 4 (5 inn.)
North Central notched three runs during a rocky first inning, but once the Red Devils got the bats going, they didn't look back.
The maroon and gold got on the board with a pair of runs in the second inning, then took the lead with a four-run third and tacked on eight more in the fourth to put the game in run-rule territory.
Sophomore transfer pitcher Jeri Bradford (Homewood, Ill./Chicago Christian) recorded her first win as a Red Devil after allowing only three runs on two hits and four walks in four innings of work. She posted a season-high five strikeouts.
At the plate, Eureka racked up 14 runs on 16 hits. Ten different Red Devils came up with at least one hit and seven drove in at least one run.
Sophomore Alayla Thornton (East Peoria, Ill./East Peoria/Trinity International) went 3-for-4 with a double and three RBI. Voyles delivered a pair of doubles. Hohlbauch went 2-for-3 with a double, while freshman Chloe Smith (Sullivan, Ill./Sullivan) produced the first two base hits of her career.
Whisker, Kierstin Moody (Kankakee, Ill./Kankakee Trinity) and Carmen Howard (Warrensburg, Ill./Warrensburg-Latham) each contributed a stolen base in the win.