Kloe Norris, Red Devils Shut Out MUW on Senior Day, 1-0

EUREKA – After a slew of close losses over the last month, the Eureka softball team held off the Mississippi University for Women 1-0 to secure a St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference split on Senior Day.

Kloe Norris (Manito, Ill./Midwest Central) threw a seven-inning shutout in her final home game as a Red Devil. She fanned a career-high five batters and held the Owls scoreless on five hits and three walks, while the EC defense didn't commit a single error.

"I was a little nervous," Norris said. "I knew my defense backed me up, so I was kind of comfortable with them and (getting more comfortable) with every out – that's what I was going off of."

Norris retired 12 of the first 13 batters that she faced in the first four innings.

In the fifth, MUW put two on with a pair of singles and moved them to scoring position with a sac bunt, but Norris and the Red Devils stranded both runners with an inning-ending groundout to short.

Then, in the bottom half, the Red Devils engineered what ended up being the game-winning run. Bria Wessel (Peoria, Ill./Limestone) led off with a walk and senior Kacy Dunlap (Mount Sterling, Ill./Brown County) doubled down the left-field line to give EC two runners in scoring position.

Two batters later, Bri Tanksley (Metamora, Ill./Metamora) hit a hard grounder to third base. The third baseman gathered it after a bounce off the glove and made the throw to first in time. However, Wessel used it as an opportunity to advance to third, and the first basemen's ensuring throw soared over third base. Wessel sprinted down and slid into home before the Owls could get the ball to the catcher, putting the Red Devils on the board.

The Owls put two on again in the sixth, with a single and a double coming with two outs, but once again, Norris got a groundout to shortstop Gada Bryant (Westville, Ill./Bismark-Henning/Rossville-Alvin/Lincoln) to get out of it.

Bryant led off the sixth with a double and stole third, but the Red Devils were unable to plate an insurance, sending Norris back to the circle to protect a one-run lead for one more inning.

The Owls made one last push in the seventh, loading the bases with a single and a pair of walks.

Once again, EC's defense came through. Kaitlyn Bearley liner looked dangerous off the bat, but Wessel snagged it at first base to end the game. The Red Devils sprinted to Norris in the circle to celebrate the win.

"It was really exciting," Norris said. "I loved seeing everyone smile and jumping for joy."

Game 1: MUW 11, Eureka 9

Eureka couldn't quite keep up with MUW in the first game of the day.

The Red Devils fell behind 3-0 in the first inning and a half of play, and then answered with a four-run rally in the second inning that included five hits including RBI singles by Macey Whisker (Washington, Ill./Washington/Illinois Central College) and Bryant and a two-run single by Mackenzie Daniels (Monticello, Ill./Monticello). It started with Wessel getting hit by a pitch and Dunlap and Carmen Howard (Warrensburg, Ill./Warrensburg-Latham) notching back-to-back singles to load the bases.

After that, however, MUW notched four more runs over two innings to take a three-run lead. The Red Devils got one back with an RBI single by Daniels in the bottom of the fourth, and then the teams traded four-run innings in the sixth.

In the bottom of the sixth, Dunlap led off with a double and Howard and Whisker helped set the table with back-to-back singles. Daniels then singled up the middle to bring two in, and Ashlyn Voyles (Farmer City, Ill./Farmer City) singled to tack on two more.

It just wasn't enough to close the gap.

Eureka finished with nine runs on 13 hits in a losing effort. Daniels went 3-for-3 with five RBI. Dunlap went 2-for-4 with a double. Whisker, Bryant and Howard each had two hits and Wessel contributed a double.

Before the game, Eureka honored four seniors/departing players in Howard, Norris, Dunlap and Whisker.

All three position players contributed at the plate, while Norris capped the series with the pitching performance of the day.

Norris, who has played softball since she was four years old, said that tears were shed before the game, but that it hasn't really sunk in that it's coming to an end just yet.

The Red Devils (10-26, 2-12 SLIAC) will wrap up the 2024 season with a doubleheader at Greenville (26-7. 7-4 SLIAC) next Saturday at 1 p.m.

"We still have one game (doubleheader) left," Norris said, "so one game at a time."