Eureka Drops Both in Home Opener Against Lawrence
EUREKA, IL. – Lawrence came away with a pair of wins against the Eureka softball team on Sunday, winning 14-11 and 9-5.
Game 1: Lawrence 14, Eureka 11
Both teams picked up a run in the first inning before Eureka's bats came alive in the bottom of the second. The Red Devils scored 6 runs on 4 hits and one error in the second, including a Kacy Dunlap (Mount Sterling, Ill./Brown County) double that drove in three runs and a KayLee Hohlbauch (Arcola, Ill./Arcola) double that brought Dunlap home.
A double and a two-run homer from Lawrence in the third brought the score back to 7-4 Eureka. Macey Whisker (Washington, Ill./Washington) knocked one out of the park in the bottom of the third with a runner on first and Mackenzie Daniels (Monticello, Ill./Monticello) batted another in with a single to extend the Red Devil lead to 6 (10-4).
This scoreline held until the top of the fifth, when Lawrence scored nine runs on six hits and two errors, including a pair of two-run homers from Janessa Gonzalez and Gillian Guerriero. Both teams scored a run in the seventh inning to close the game (14-11 Lawrence). Eureka's run came when Ashlyn Voyles (Farmer City, Ill./Farmer City) golfed a home run over the left field fence.
Eureka starting pitcher Claire Wuethrich (Peoria, Ill./Peoria Christian) struck out four of the 16 batters she faced, giving up four earned runs on four hits and four walks. Kloe Norris (Manito, Ill./Midwest Central) allowed seven earned runs on eight hits, facing 14 batters. KayLee Hohlbauch pitched a full three innings to close the game, allowing zero earned runs and just three hits. Hohlbauch was also 3-for-4 at the plate with an RBI.
Game 2: Lawrence 9, Eureka 5
A pair of homers opened the scoring for Lawrence in the top of the second: Zoe Doherty knocked one out of the park with runners on second and third before Mattigan Haller hit a solo homer. The Red Devils battled back in the bottom of the second. With the bases loaded, Gada Bryant (Westville, Ill./Westville/Lincoln) singled to drive in Alayla Thornton (East Peoria, Ill./East Peoria). Bri Tanksley (Metamora, Ill./Metamora) made it home when Klaire Morris (Billings, Mont./Billings Skyview) lined out to short before a Hohlbauch double brought in Bryant and Dixon to level the scoring (4-4).
Lawrence took the lead back in the top of the fourth with three runs and three hits and tacked on another two runs in the fifth inning. Bryant again crossed the plate for Eureka in the sixth inning on a Klaire Morris single. Bryant was 3-for-3 in game 2, with two runs and one RBI.
Jeri Bradford (Homewood, Ill./Chicago Christian) started for the Red Devils, facing 28 batters in four innings pitched and striking out three. Rachel Dawson (Stanford, Ill./Homeschooled) pitched the remaining three innings, allowing no runs and only one hit.
Up Next
Eureka next heads to Naples, Florida over spring break. In their first game in Florida, they face RIT on Sunday, March 10th at 8:00 AM CST.