Westminster Sweeps Eureka Sunday, Secures Series Win
EUREKA, Ill. – Westminster used a six-run third inning to break open a 7-0 win in game one and also secured a big lead early in the nightcap before holding on for a 6-4 victory and a St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference West Division doubleheader sweep of the Eureka College baseball team, Sunday afternoon at Henry Sand Field. The victories allowed the Blue Jays to take two out of three contests in the weekend series.
The losses dropped the Red Devils to 12-14-1 overall and 6-11 in the SLIAC. They also spoiled EC's annual Senior Day celebration. Ethan Gates (Batavia, Ill./Batavia H.S./Waubonsee), Jake Schnulle (Woodstock, Ill./Woodstock North/Cardinal-Stritch), Evan Smith (Moline, Ill./Moline H.S./Sauk Valley), Isaiah Taylor (Princeton, Ill./Princeton H.S./Illinois Valley) and Ray Vogel (Bartonville, Ill./Limestone H.S.) were honored during a pregame ceremony.
Game 1: Westminster 7, EC 0
Eureka was limited to four hits by WC starter Ryan Clavin and only Sean Green's (Peoria, Ill./Limestone H.S./Robert Morris-Peoria) double went for extra bases.
Brandon Porter (Manhattan, Ill./Lincoln Way Central H.S.) didn't allow a run out of the bullpen in the longest outing of his collegiate career. He struck five and allowed only two hits and one walk over 4.2 innings in relief of Taylor.
The Blue Jays grabbed a 1-0 lead in the second inning when Adam Mundle singled up the middle to score Will Stonecipher, who reached on a Eureka error to begin the inning.
Westminster took charge of the contest with six runs in the top of the third inning. Blake Strebler started the rally with a one-out walk and ultimately scored on a wild pitch. Zach Stiles added an RBI single, Ryan Klimkiewicz took a bases-loaded walk and Nick Bohlmann tacked on a two-run single as part of an outburst that included 11 batters but only four WC hits.
Game 2: Westminster 6, EC 4
Eureka had eight hits in game two, led by two hits apiece from Green, Joe Quinn (Coal City, Ill./Coal City H.S./Illinois Valley) and Thomas Harrison (Bushnell, Ill./Bushnell-Prairie City H.S.).
Kyle Cashdollar turned in another outstanding outing the mound, dropping his season ERA to 1.35 with 6.0 scoreless innings of relief. He worked around eight hits and struck out four to run his active scoreless streak to 16.0 innings. He hasn't allowed a run since March 30 at Fontbonne.
The Red Devils briefly led the nightcap thanks to an RBI single from Mike Redmond (Chicago, Ill./St. Rita) for a 1-0 lead in the second inning. The visitors quickly answered with two runs in the third, scoring twice on consecutive bases-loaded walk for a 2-1 lead.
Eureka tied the score at 2-2 in the bottom of the third when Green started the frame with a single and later scored on a single through the left side from Grant Mullin (Chicago, Ill./St. Rita).
Westminster collected six hits as part of a four-run fourth inning for a 6-2 advantage. Mason Price smacked a two-run double down the left-field line for a 4-2 advantage. Three batters later, Stonecipher made it 5-2 with a single to left field and Robert Shifrin put the exclamation point on the inning with another run-scoring single to the outfield for a 6-2 cushion.
The Red Devils proceeded to strand six runners over the next four innings, including the bases loaded in the fourth. The hosts finally broke through in the eighth when Jake Carter (Carlinville, Ill./Carlinville H.S.) was hit by a pitch with one out and later scored on a wild pitch. Jeremy Sinople (Oak Lawn, Ill./St. Rita) followed with a run-scoring groundout to pull EC within 6-4.
Westminster reliever Alex Dickneite was able to douse any further rallies from the Red Devils, stranding the tying run at the plate in eighth and working a perfect ninth inning.
Up Next
Eureka and Iowa Wesleyan are scheduled to finish their three-game league series Monday at 3 p.m. at Henry Sand Field in Eureka. The Red Devils swept a doubleheader from the Tigers in Mount Pleasant on April 13 and will be in search of their first SLIAC series sweep since taking three at Principia on April 5-6, 2013.