Red Devils Drop Season Opening Doubleheader at Rockford

ROCKFORD, Ill. – The Eureka baseball team's season opened with two road losses to Rockford on Friday afternoon. The Red Devils led early in Game 1 but fell 9-5, while Game 2 saw them briefly ahead before the Regents' late surge sealed a 17-7 defeat.

GAME 1 – Eureka 5, Rockford 9

The Red Devils dropped their season opener against Rockford by a final score of 9-5 on Friday.

Eureka started the game by capitalizing on a series of errors from Rockford in the first inning. Noah Company (Le Roy, Ill./Le Roy) reached first on a throwing error and eventually scored, giving the Red Devils an early 1-0 lead. Rockford answered with a run of their own in the bottom of the inning, tying the score at 1-1.

In the second inning, the Red Devils added another run without recording a hit after a series of walks and a hit by pitch. Ethan McDonald (Mannford, Okla./Mannford) scored to put Eureka ahead 2-1, but the Regents responded with two runs in the bottom half of the inning, taking a 3-2 lead.

The fourth inning saw Eureka tie the game at 3-3 when Nickolas Cartmill (Fort Worth, Texas/Burleson) scored on a fielder's choice by Mike Dunne (Bartonville, Ill./Limestone). However, Rockford regained control with three runs in the bottom of the inning, bringing the score to 6-3 in their favor.

Eureka mounted a comeback attempt in the seventh inning, scoring two runs. Ben Perrine (Payson, Ill./Payson Seymour) and Ethan McDonald each had RBI doubles, closing the gap to 6-5. The Regents, however, added three more runs in the eighth inning, extending their lead and securing a 9-5 victory over the Red Devils.

GAME NOTES

• Ethan McDonald went 2-for-5 with a double, an RBI, and a run scored.
• Joshua Frenden (New Port Richey, Fla./River Ridge) had two hits in five at-bats, scored a run, and stole a base.
• Ben Perrine had a double and collected an RBI.
• Aaron Cabrera (Tucson, Ariz./Ironwood Ridge) started on the mound, pitching four innings, allowing six earned runs on eight hits, and recording three strikeouts.
• Kenyon Martin (Galena, Kan./Galena) pitched three innings in relief, allowing one earned run and striking out three.

GAME 2 – Eureka 7, Rockford 17 (8 Innings)

The Red Devils opened the second game with a solid offensive start in the first inning. Ben Perrine doubled down the left field line, setting the stage for Hayden McKenna (Sheridan, Ill./Marquette Academy) to reach first on an error, allowing Perrine to score an unearned run. Despite a couple of walks, the Red Devils left three runners on base in the inning, finishing with one run on one hit.

In the second inning, the Red Devils built momentum with Noah Company walking and stealing second, followed by Gabe Peters' (Washington, Ill./Washington) RBI single up the middle. Ace Padilla (Castle Rock, Colo./Grayslake North) capitalized on an error, bringing in another unearned run, and Hayden McKenna doubled to center field, pushing the score to 4-2 in the Red Devils' favor.

The Red Devils made a push in the seventh inning, starting with Hayden McKenna's walk and Joshua Frenden's single. Jon Leon Guerrero's (Temecula, Calif./Great Oak) ground out brought McKenna home, and Ethan McDonalds's single added another run, followed by a wild pitch allowing McDonald to score. This surge gave the Red Devils a 7-6 advantage.

Despite the Red Devils' efforts, the Regents responded with a series of strong innings, including a five-run seventh and a six-run eighth, ultimately leading to a final score of 17-7. The Regents' offensive output was bolstered by timely hitting and capitalization on the Red Devils' defensive errors, concluding the game with 17 runs on 16 hits.

GAME NOTES

• Ace Padilla went 1-for-4 with an RBI and a stolen base.
• Hayden McKenna went 1-for-3 with a double, an RBI, and two walks.
• Joshua Frenden led the team with three hits in four at-bats.
• Gabe Peters recorded four assists and turned two double plays while going 1-for-3 with an RBI.

UP NEXT

Eureka's scheduled doubleheader against Rockford tomorrow has been postponed. The Red Devils will now return to action on Tuesday, March 4, when they host Knox College at noon.