Eureka Rallies for Split Against Greenville
EUREKA – The Eureka softball team kept ginding on a cold evening at Sweitzer Field on Thursday and finished with a come-from-behind win against Greenville.
After dropping the first game of the day 12-2 in six innings, the Red Devils stormed back and earned a 12-6 victory over the Panthers to salvage a split.
The Red Devils are now 4-2 through six games of St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference play.
Game 1: Greenville 12, Eureka 2 (6 inn.)
Eureka fell into a seven run hole after the first innings on Thursday afternoon.
The Red Devils managed to get one back on an RBI single up the middle by Bria Wessel (Peoria, Ill./Limestone) in the third and another on an RBI sac fly by Raelyn Payne (Lexington, Ill./Lexington), but runs didn't come easy.
Greenville tallied three runs on four hits and an EC error in the sixth to go ahead by 10 runs, and the home team couldn't answer in the bottom of the sixth.
Wessel posted two of the Red Devils' nine hits in the game. Christine Mepham (Bourbonnais, Ill./Bradley-Bourbonnais) tallied a double, and six others recorded base hits for the Red Devils.
Game 2: Eureka 12, Greenville 6
The Red Devils trailed Greenville 6-4 heading into the bottom of the fourth. After that, they racked up eight unanswered runs en route to their most significant conference win yet.
Kate LeMasters (Metamora, Ill./Metamora) made it a one-run game with an RBI single to score Payne after she doubled with two outs.
After a pitching change, Greenville recorded the last out to minimize the damage for the time being. The tide, however, turned the following inning.
The Red Devils' set the table with the middle of the order. No. 5 hitter Mackenzie Daniels (Monticello, Ill./Monticello) walked with one out, moved to second on a passed ball and advanced to third on a single by Bri Tanksley (Spring Bay, Ill./Metamora).
Then, Abby Newmister (Bloomington, Ill./Bloomington Central Catholic) pinch hit and slammed a game-tying RBI double to left center. Elly Maier walked to put two on, prompting another Greenville pitching change.
When play resumed, Tressa Grisham (Morton, Ill./East Peoria) reached on a fielder's choice, bringing Payne to the plate. The top hitter in the conference proceeded to single and drive in the go-ahead run. Maier then scored on a wild pitch and LeMasters walked to load the bases for Wessel.
Wessel, a sophomore first baseman, singled up the middle, plating two more runs. The Red Devils' last run of the inning came with a bit of trickery.
With runners on the corners, Wessel threatened to steal second base, then fell down in the base path. It took Greenville's catcher a second to react, and when she did, she fired it to first base to try to get the pickoff while LeMasters sprinted home to give the Red Devils a four-run lead.
Maier contributed an RBI double in the sixth for EC's 12th and final run.
Payne finished the game 3-for-3 with a double, an RBI, a walk, two stolen bases and four runs scored. She scored an unearned run on an error in the first inning to put Eureka on the board.
Trailing 4-1, the Red Devils tied the game with three runs on four hits in the third inning.
Wessel drove in Payne with an RBI single through the left side. And, after Delaney Douglas (Sugar Grove, Ill./Kaneland) doubled in the next at-bat, Tanksley singled to right center to drive in two more and tie the game at 4-4.
Greenville took their last lead of the game with two runs on two hits, two walks and a sac fly RBI in the fourth.
The Red Devils finished with 12 runs on the night. Wessel went 2-for-4 with two big singles through the infield and a team-high three RBI. Tanksley also had two hits and two RBI.
LeMasters, Douglas, Mepham, Newmister and Maier all had key hits.
Mepham claimed her fourth win of the season in the circle after allowing four earned runs on nine hits and three walks and striking out a batter in seven innings pitched.
Up Next
Eureka (8-11, 4-2 SLIAC) is headed south on Friday to take on Spalding (11-9, 5-1 SLIAC) in an 11 a.m. doubleheader on Saturday.
