Eureka Falls Short in High-Scoring Doubleheader Against Mount Mary

EUREKA, Ill. – The Eureka softball team battled hard in a thrilling doubleheader against Mount Mary on Friday but ultimately came up short in both games. The Red Devils fell 16-15 in a nine-inning marathon in Game 1 before dropping Game 2 by a score of 19-10.

GAME 1: Eureka 15, Mount Mary 16 (9 Innings)

In a high-scoring battle that stretched into extra innings, Mount Mary edged out Eureka 16-15 in the opening game on Sunday.

Eureka jumped out to an early lead in the first inning, capitalizing on a Mount Mary error to get on the board. Olivia Lewis (Green Valley, Ill./Midwest Central) reached on a throwing error, allowing Lexi Liptak (Lemont, Ill./Lemont) to score. Ashlyn Voyles (Farmer City, Ill./Farmer City) followed with an RBI double, and a series of miscues by Mount Mary extended Eureka's lead to 4-0.

The Red Devils kept rolling in the second inning as Mackenzie Daniels (Monticello, Ill./Monticello) delivered an RBI single, followed by a throwing error that allowed Olivia Lewis to cross the plate. Voyles then lifted a sacrifice fly to center, making it 7-0.

Mount Mary responded in the third, taking advantage of an error and timely hits to push across five runs, cutting the lead to 7-5. Eureka added insurance runs in the fourth, with Bre Dixon (Newark, Ill./Newark Community) and Tylar Whitaker (Country Club Hills, Ill./Rich Township) each driving in runs to extend the lead to 11-5.

Mount Mary kept fighting, scoring four runs in the sixth, including a two-run homerun. They then rallied in the seventh to tie the game at 12-12, forcing extra innings.

Mount Mary took their first lead of the game in the eighth at 13-12. Eureka responded in the bottom half, tying the game at 13-13 on a single by Liptak that scored Chloe Smith (Sullivan, Ill./Sullivan). However, Mount Mary struck again in the ninth with a two-run homer from Nance and an RBI single from Hames, making it 16-13. The Red Devils nearly completed another comeback as Bria Wessel (Peoria, Ill./Limestone) blasted a two-run homer in the bottom of the ninth, but Mount Mary held on for the win.

GAME NOTES

• Bria Wessel led the Red Devils' offense, going 4-for-6 with a home run, two RBIs, and four runs scored.
• Mackenzie Daniels had a strong performance, going 4-for-6 with an RBI and four runs.
• Chloe Smith recorded three RBIs on three hits, including a double.
• Ashlyn Voyles added a 3-for-5 performance with two RBIs.
• Jeri Bradford (Homewood, Ill./Chicago Christian) pitched 5.1 innings, allowing six earned runs while striking out four.
• Alyssa Bundren (Spring Bay, Ill./Metamora) took the loss, pitching 3.2 innings and allowing two earned runs.

GAME 2 – Mount Mary 19, Eureka 10 (5 Innings)

Mount Mary's explosive start proved too much for Eureka to overcome in the second game, as the Red Devils fell 19-10 in five innings on Sunday.

Mount Mary wasted no time getting on the scoreboard, plating 11 runs in the first inning. A series of errors and timely hits allowed Mount Mary to build a commanding lead, capped by a grand slam from Nance.

The visitors tacked on seven more runs in the second inning, taking advantage of two Eureka errors and a pair of RBI hits from Eads. By the time Eureka came to bat in the bottom of the second, the Red Devils faced an 18-0 deficit.

Eureka fought back in the bottom of the second with a five-run rally. Claire Schaffner (Delavan, Ill./Delavan) delivered a two-run single, and Mackenzie Daniels followed with a two-run single of her own. Ashlyn Voyles then reached on an error, allowing another run to cross the plate and cutting the deficit to 18-5.

Mount Mary added another run in the third inning with an RBI double from Eads, extending the lead to 19-5. Eureka answered with a three-run third, highlighted by an RBI from Tylar Whitaker and a Mount Mary error that allowed two more runs to score.

Eureka continued to battle in the fourth as Olivia Lewis knocked a two-run single to bring the Red Devils within nine. However, the early deficit proved insurmountable, and the game ended after five innings due to the run rule.

GAME NOTES

• Claire Schaffner, Mackenzie Daniels, and Olivia Lewis each tallied two RBIs for the Red Devils.
• Tylar Whitaker notched a double and an RBI while scoring twice.
• Chloe Smith went 2-for-3 with two runs scored.
• Jeri Bradford and Alyssa Bundren combined for 4.2 innings in relief, holding Mount Mary to four earned runs after the first inning.

UP NEXT

Eureka looks to bounce back as they host Cornell for a doubleheader on Saturday, March 22, with first pitch set for 1 p.m.