Red Devils Split in Home Opener Against Mount Mary

EUREKA – On a frigid Sunday at Sweitzer Field, the Eureka softball team secured a non-conference split against Mount Mary.

The Red Devils dropped the first game 12-2 in five innings, then came back and took Game 2 10-6. It was the team's first home doubleheader of the season and first home win in the Juell Hodges coaching era.

Game 1: Mount Mary 12, Eureka 2 (5 inn.)

A rough fourth inning for the Red Devils changed Game 1 from a close contest to a win by run rule for the Blue Angels.

Eureka trailed by one run after Mackenzie Daniels (Monticello, Ill./Monticello) produced an RBI single that made it 2-1 in the bottom of the third inning.

In the fourth, however, Mount Mary racked up 10 runs on six hits and an error.

Eureka got one back in the fourth off an RBI single by Tressa Grisham (Morton, Ill./East Peoria), but the Red Devils ended up leaving the bases loaded. The team tallied nine hits on the game, but it left eight batters on base.

Kate LeMasters (Metamora, Ill./Metamora) went 3-for-3, while Grisham, Daniels, Delaney Douglas (Sugar Grove, Ill./Kaneland), Bri Tanksley (Spring Bay, Ill./Metamora) and Sidney Wightman (Waterloo, Ill./Gibault Catholic) each singled.

Game 2: Eureka 10, Mount Mary 6

In Game 2, the Red Devils jumped out to a big lead, tallying eight runs in the first two innings.

In the first, a sacrifice fly RBI by Daniels drove in Raelyn Payne (Lexington, Ill./Lexington), who led off with a double. Then, in the second, EC put up seven runs on seven hits and two errors.

Christine Mepham (Bourbonnais, Ill./Bradley-Bourbonnais) singled with the bases loaded to bring in the first run. Payne was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded, then Grisham scored on an error by the catcher, Mepaham scored on a wild pitch and Daniels slotted a two-run single through the middle.

Three batters later, Tanksley singled and a fielding error by the left fielder allowed Daniels to score to make it 8-0.

The Blue Angels scored six runs over the next three innings, but Eureka added another in the third on an RBI single by LeMasters and one more in the fifth on a sac fly RBI by Payne. That ended up being enough to stave off the visitors.

Eureka finished with 10 runs on 11 hits and three Mount Mary errors. Tanksley, Grisham and Mepham all had two hits apiece, while Payne (double), LeMasters, Daniels, Bria Wessel (Peoria, Ill./Limestone) and Douglas each contributed one. Elly Maier (Clinton, Ill./Clinton) swiped two bases and Grisham notched a steal as well.

In the circle, Wightman notched her second win of the season, limiting Mount Mary to three runs on six hits and three walks in seven innings. She also notched three strikeouts and contributed to a double play in the first inning.

Up Next

On Tuesday, Eureka (2-9) will head to Principia (0-4) to open St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference play with a 3 p.m. doubleheader.