George Ties Pitching Wins Mark in Sunday Sweep of STLCOP
EUREKA, Ill. -- Kali George (East Peoria, Ill./East Peoria H.S.) tied the all-time program record for pitching victories Sunday with her 45th career win in the nightcap of the Eureka College softball team's non-conference sweep of NAIA St. Louis College of Pharmacy. The Red Devils beat the Eutectics in game game one 7-2 and came from behind to win game two 4-1.
George's 45 career wins tied the 22-year-old record held by Tina Sharp (1993-96). She also broke the all-time Eureka record for innings pitched on Sunday, going 7.0 innings to run her career total to 462.2 to eclipse Donita Williams's previous record of 457.1 set between 1989 and 1992.
Saturday's wins improved the Red Devils to 21-7 this season. It's the third consecutive 20-win season for EC and the fourth 20-win campaign under sixth-year head coach Debi Neff.
Game 1: EC 7, St. Louis College of Pharmacy 2
Eureka was limited to only five hits in the opener, but took advantage of three STLCOP errors to score seven runs. Kerrigan Dura (Edwards, Ill./Brimfield H.S.) and Gabby Wood (Bartonville, Ill./Limestone H.S.) each hit doubles, while Dura scored twice and Wood drove in two.
Erin Smith (Dunlap, Ill./Dunlap H.S.) won the opener in the circle for Eureka to become the first St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference hurler to win 10 games. She struck out three and allowed only two earned runs.
The Red Devils scored four times in the first inning and never trailed in the game-one win. Wood smashed a two-run double to give the hosts as 2-0 lead before Adrianna Zeman (La Salle, Ill./La Salle-Peru H.S.) and Deidra Whightsil (Spring Valley, Ill./Hall H.S.) tacked on RBI later in the frame.
Lauren Wright's RBI single pulled the Eutectics within 4-1 with a run-scoring single in the third, but Eureka found additional insurance with a three-run fifth. Courtney Kurtz (Minooka, Ill./Minooka H.S.) hit an RBI single on a play that ultimately plated three runs, including Kurtz, after a critical STLCOP throwing error.
Allison Dewald led off the sixth inning with a solo home run, but there would be no further damage from the visitors.
Game 2: EC 4, St. Louis College of Pharmacy 1
George threw 76 pitches, 54 of which were strikes, in a complete-game win. She scattered seven hits, didn't issue a walk and yielded only one earned run. She also paced the Red Devils' eight-hit attack with a 2-for-3 effort that included a double.
Ellie Ottensmeyer started the game with a solo home run, giving the visitors a 1-0 lead that held up until the fourth inning. The Red Devils pulled even when Zeman reached on a throwing error and eventually came around to score on Kurtz's double to left field for a 1-1 tie.
Eureka broke the tied score with a three-run sixth inning. Allison Cagley (Fairbury, Ill./Prairie Central H.S.) drove in what held up as the game-winning run on a fielder's choice and Danielle Brittain (Eureka, Ill./Eureka H.S.) followed with insurance one batter later with a two-run single for a 4-1 cushion.
A pair of singles brought the tying run to the plate in the seventh inning for the visitors, but the game ended when Kate Toler was ruled the final out of the game on batter's interference.
Up Next
Eureka will look to take a big step in its pursuit of a SLIAC Tournament bid this Tuesday in a 2 p.m. league doubleheader against Webster in Eureka.