Centre Picks Up Sweep Over Red Devils

DANVILLE, Ky. –  Centre got the edge on the Eureka baseball team in a 3-2 Game 1 and earned a 9-2 victory in Game 2 to seal a doubleheader sweep on Tuesday evening.

GAME 1: Centre 3, Eureka 2

The Red Devils fell short despite outhitting the home team 7-3 in Game 1 of the night.

The visitors got on the board first, striking in the first inning after Kyle Christman (Peru, Ill./La Salle-Peru) got hit by a pitch with the bases loaded.

After opening with a reach on an error, back-to-back singles and the first run of the game, it looked like the Red Devils might have a big inning, but Centre got a groundout for the first out and a double play to get out of it.

Then, in the bottom half, Centre went ahead with after getting a bases-loaded hit-by-pitch and an RBI sacrifice fly.

Eureka tied the game in the fourth inning after Dean Moir (Coal City, Ill./Coal City) delivered an RBI single that scored Jake Carter (Carlinville, Ill./Carlinville), who led off with a double and advanced to third on a wild pitch.

It stayed tied at 2-2 until the bottom of the sixth, when the Colonels manufactured the winning run. An error with one out led to a single and a SAC bunt RBI.

The Red Devils got one on with one out in the seventh, but it ended with a fly out and a strikeout.

Kyle Cashdollar (Morton, Ill./Morton) allowed only his second run of the season in the sixth and took the loss for the visitors.

Gregory Cluskey (East Peoria, Ill./Metamora) gave up just two hits, along with five walks and struck out six in five innings.

Carter had a pair of hits at the plate.

GAME 2: Centre 9, Eureka 2

After the ultra-close first game of the series, Centre took control and stayed in control for the duration of Game 2.

The Colonels mashed 11 hits and tallied nine runs without committing an error in the field while using six pitchers. The Red Devils scattered five hits over seven innings.

Centre scored four runs on two hits and one error in the first inning and held that lead until Tate Stone (Washington, Ill./Washington) scored on a wild pitch for the first in the fifth.

The home team came back and notched three more on four hits and an error in the bottom of the fifth, and tacked on two more off four hits in the sixth.

Eureka scratched one more across in the seventh on an RBI single by Dylan Briggs (Peoria, Ill./Richwoods).

Nathan Garard (Gibson City, Ill./Gibson City-Melvin-Sibley) took the loss after conceding three earned runs on four three hits in three innings.

UP NEXT: The Red Devils (5-8) will wrap up their spring break trip with a final game at Hanover on Wednesday at 12 p.m.