Eureka Softball Secures First SLIAC Wins with Road Sweep of Principia

ELSAH, Ill. – The Eureka softball team secured its first SLIAC victories of the season on Tuesday, sweeping Principia on the road with a 7-5 extra-inning win in Game 1 and a 4-3 victory in a weather-shortened Game 2.

GAME 1 – Eureka 7, Principia 5 (8 Innings)

Eureka battled through extra innings to claim a 7-5 victory over Principia, marking its first conference win of the season.

The Red Devils got on the board early in the first inning as Alayla Thornton (East Peoria, Ill./East Peoria) singled, advanced on a wild pitch, and came around to score on a fielding error. The Panthers quickly responded, capitalizing on a defensive miscue to plate three runs and take a 3-1 lead.

In the third inning, Eureka cut into the deficit when Thornton drew a walk and was driven in by a Mackenzie Daniels (Monticello, Ill./Monticello) double, making it 3-2. The Red Devils' defense held Principia in check, setting the stage for a fifth-inning rally.

Alyssa Bundren (Spring Bay, Ill./Metamora) delivered a clutch two-RBI double in the fifth, scoring Daniels and Natalia Espinosa (Austin, Texas/Lake Travis) to push Eureka ahead 5-3. Principia managed to tie the game in the seventh, sending it into extra innings.

In the top of the eighth, Eureka took control, capitalizing on an error and a wild pitch to score two runs and seize a 7-5 advantage. Bundren then shut the door in the bottom half, securing the complete-game victory with six strikeouts.

GAME NOTES

• Mackenzie Daniels led Eureka with three hits and two RBIs, including a double.
• Alyssa Bundren had three hits, two RBIs, and pitched all eight innings, striking out six.
• Alayla Thornton recorded two hits and scored twice.

GAME 2 – Eureka 4, Principia 3 (6 Innings)

Eureka made it a sweep with a 4-3 win in Game 2, which ended after six innings due to weather conditions.

After falling behind 2-0, the Red Devils responded in the second inning. Bria Wessel (Peoria, Ill./Limestone) led off with a single, and Danika Apostolovich (Riverside, Ill./Riverside-Brookfield) followed with an RBI single to center. Apostolovich later scored on a fielder's choice by Natalia Espinosa, tying the game at 2-2.

Eureka took the lead in the third when Wessel walked, stole second, and advanced on an error before scoring on a wild pitch to make it 3-2. The Red Devils added an insurance run in the fourth, as Thornton doubled and later scored on an error by the second baseman, extending the lead to 4-2.

Principia pulled within a run in the sixth, but Eureka held on for the 4-3 victory before the game was called.

GAME NOTES

• Alayla Thornton went 3-for-3 with a double, a run, and two stolen bases.
• Bria Wessel had two hits and scored twice.
• Isabel Ramirez (Tonopah, Ariz./Buckeye Union) struck out nine batters over 5 1/3 innings.

UP NEXT

Eureka will look to continue its momentum on Saturday as the Red Devils travel to Monmouth for a doubleheader starting at 1:00 p.m.