Eureka Falls Short in Extras Against Monmouth, 4-2
EUREKA – The Eureka softball team came up short in extra innings against Monmouth at Sweitzer Field on Thursday, falling 4-2.
The Red Devils held a 1-0 lead from the second inning until Monmouth tied it up with an unearned run in the seventh inning.
Then, in the eighth, the Fighting Scots notched three runs in the top half to take the lead, and Eureka came up with one.
Claire Wuethrich (Peoria, Ill./Peoria Christian) pitched all eight innings for the Red Devils and didn't concede an earned run until the final frame. She notched six strikeouts while only allowing two earned runs on five hits and four walks.
Eureka's first run of the day came on an RBI single by Carmen Howard (Warrensburg, Ill./Warrensburg-Latham), who drove in Kloe Wheeler (Farmington, Ill./Farmington Central) in the second inning. Wheeler singled with two outs, advanced to second on a passed ball and moved to third on a single by Lexi Liptak (Lemont, Ill./Lemont).
Macey Whisker (Washington, Ill./Washington/Illinois Central College) later walked to load the bases, but the Fighting Scots got a pop-up to end the inning and limit EC to one run.
Trialing 4-1 in the bottom of the eighth, Klaire Morris (Billings, Mont./Billings Skyview/Williston State) advanced from second to third on a sac fly by Bri Wessel (Peoria, Ill./Limestone), then scored on a wild pitch. Wheeler followed that with a single, putting the winning run on deck.
The Fighting Scots proceeded to put the game away with a fly-out to center and a line-out to second base.
Eureka recorded eight hits to Monmouth's five, with Mackenzie Daniels (Monticello, Ill./Monticello) going 2-for-4 in the three-hole.
The maroon and gold jumped out to a one-run lead in Game 2, but it was ultimately called off due to heavy rain in the third inning, ending the evening early.
The Red Devils (8-16, 0-6 St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference) will next vie for their first SLIAC wins of the season on Saturday in a 1 p.m. doubleheader at Lyon (11-12, 4-3 SLIAC).
