Eureka Comes Up Short at Westminster

FULTON, Mo. – The Eureka softball team came up short in a pair of St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference contests at Westminster on Saturday.

The Blue Jays held the Red Devils off, 5-2, in Game 1 and won Game 2, 4-1.

Game 1: Westminster 5, Eureka 2

Trailing the home team 5-0 in the sixth inning, the Red Devils produced a pair of runs to make it a three-run game. They then put two on to start the seventh inning, but the Blue Jays got three straight outs to end the threat and secure the win.

Eureka's Delaney Douglas (Sugar Grove, Ill./Kaneland) went 2-for-3 and drove in the maroon and gold's first run in the sixth inning. She was the only Red Devils to notch multiple hits.

Macey Whisker (Washington, Ill./Washington/Illinois Central College) led off the seventh with a double and Kylie Shaffer (East Peoria, Ill./East Peoria/Lincoln) followed it with a single to put runners on the corners before Westminster closed the door.

Kloey Wheeler (Farmington, Ill./Farmington/Heartland) and Ashlyn Voyles (Blue Ridge, Ill./Farmer City) also each had a single.

Eureka starting pitcher Claire Wuethrich (Peoria, Ill./Peoria Christian) took the loss after allowing four runs on eight hits in the first two innings. Kloe Norris (Manito, Ill./Midwest Central) came in and only conceded one run on four hits and two walks in 2 1/3 innings, and Rachel Dawson (Stanford, Ill./Homeschooled) pitched 1 1/3 scoreless innings at the end.

Game 2: Westminster 4, Eureka 1

The Blue Jays manufactured a run in the first inning, scored a second on a wild pitch in the fourth and Dickinson came up with a two-run homer in the sixth to double the lead.

Eureka loaded the bases and scored a run in the seventh, but it ended up being on the last play of the game – a game-ending double play on a grounder hit to third.

Westminster pitcher Payton Dudenhoeffer only allowed one run on five hits and six walks. Her counterpart, Mady Bultemeier (Pekin, Ill./Pekin) conceded just three earned runs on nine hits and one walk and had three strikeouts.

Kaylee Hohlbauch (Arcola, Ill./Arcola/Lincoln) went 2-for-4 at the plate, while Voyles, Lexi Liptak (Lemont, Ill./Lemont) and Whisker each contributed one base hit.

Up Next

The Red Devils (5-15, 2-2 SLIAC) will next open a busy week with a home doubleheader against Fontbonne (10-12, 1-1 SLIAC) on Wednesday at 3 p.m.