Eureka Edges Fontbonne in Eight Innings, 3-2
ST. LOUIS, Mo. – Eureka's Kacy Dunlap (Mount Sterling, Ill./Brown County/Lincoln) tied the game with a two-run homer in the seventh inning and the Red Devils got the edge in the eighth to earn a 3-2 victory over Fontbonne on Wednesday evening.
It was only the Griffins' (18-14, 9-3 SLIAC) third St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference loss of the season.
The Red Devils manufactured what proved to be the game-winning run with a sacrifice bunt by KayLee Hohlbauch (Arcola, Ill./Arcola/Lincoln) that moved the designated runner from second to third and an RBI single up the middle by Delaney Douglas (Sugar Grove, Ill./Kaneland).
The Griffins managed to get runners on the corners in the bottom half with a sacrifice bunt and a walk, but the Red Devils closed the door with a running catch by Kloey Wheeler (Farmington, Ill./Farmington Central/Heartland) in left field for the final out. The last batter was Allysa Ibarra, who previously put the home team on the board with a two-run double in the fourth inning.
Eureka No. 1 pitcher Claire Wuethrich (Peoria, Ill./Peoria Christian) held Fontbonne to just two hits and four walks in eight innings. The freshman struck out five batters en route to her fourth win of the season.
The Red Devils notched eight hits in the win. Douglas went 2-for-4 with a double and the game-winning RBI single, while Wheeler added a pair of hits as well.
Dunlap's game-tying long ball in the seventh was her first career home run as a Red Devil.
Hohlbauch and Macey Whisker (Washington, Ill./Washington/Illinois Central College) each had a base hit, too.
Carmen Howard (Warrensburg, Ill./Warrensburg-Latham) had the Red Devils' lone stolen base of the game in the eighth.
Game 1: Fontbonne 11, Eureka 8
The first game of the day had a bit of a back-and-forth feel. The Griffins maintained the upper hand for the duration, though.
The home team jumped out a 7-1 lead in the first two innings, but the Red Devils rallied back with a five-run third to make it a one-run game.
The Griffins notched another run in the fourth and fifth to make it 9-6, then gave themselves a pair of insurance runs in the sixth.
Eureka's last two runs in the seventh inning proved to be too little, too late.
Updated statistics from Game 1 will be available on Thursday.
Up Next
Eureka's (9-23-1, 3-9 SLIAC) road stretch continues on Saturday with a SLIAC doubleheader at Spalding (20-8, 9-1 SLIAC) at 12 p.m. CT.