Eureka Launches Three Straight Bombs, Clips Greenville, 5-3
EUREKA – Eureka's Ryan Bredeson (Washington, Ill./Washington) threw a complete game and Kyle Christman (Peru, Ill./La Salle-Peru), Braden Cross (Clinton, Ill./Clinton) and Dylan Hill (Steeleville, Ill./Steelville) delivered three straight home runs in the eighth inning to help the Red Devils snatch a 5-3 come-from-behind win over Greenville on Friday.
It was the Red Devils' first win over the Panthers since 2008.
Bredeson limited the Panthers to three runs on seven hits and one walk in nine innings of work on the mound at Henry Sand Field. The freshman right-hander fanned six batters and recorded his first career win. He got help from a Red Devils defense that didn't commit a single error.
At the plate, Eureka's first-through-five hitters all had two hits apiece and the team outhit Greenville 12-7.
Christman, the No. 3 batter, went 2-for-4 with an RBI triple and a solo home run. Cross, the cleanup hitter, and Hill, the No. 5 batter, both went 2-for-4 with a solo home run and a single. Jimmy Peterson (Bloomington, Ill./Homeschooled) went 2-for-4 an RBI double.
Tate Stone (Washington, Ill./Washington) and Kelton O'Grady (Camp Verde, Arizona/Camp Verde) each contributed a hit in the win as well.
Greenvile's Mark Islas put the Panthers on the board with a solo home run in the top of the second. Then, in the third, Landon Mokris crossed the plate on a balk and Logan Garrick's delivered a SAC fly RBI to give the Panthers a 3-0 lead.
In the bottom half, the Red Devils scored their first run on Christman's RBI triple to center field, which scored Peterson, who got on with a single, stole second and advanced to third on a groundout.
Eureka left a runner on in both the fourth and fifth and went down in order in the sixth. In the seventh, Stone led off with a bunt single, then scored on Peterson's RBI double to left-center to make it a one-run game at 3-2.
Finally, in the eighth, the heart of the Red Devils' order went to work. Christman led off with a game-tying solo shot to center field. Cross sent the go-ahead homer to right-center, and after a pitching change, Hill made it back-to-back-to-back jacks with a blast to left center.
Hill's was the first home run of his collegiate career. It was Cross' third and Christman's fourth at EC.
New pitcher Hunter Cullum was then able to get the next three batters out to get out of the inning and put the ball back in Bredeson's hands.
The freshman promptly retired the side in the ninth to complete the win.
Game 2: Greenville 10, Eureka 5
Midway through the second half of the twin bill, the Panthers threatened it out of reach and end it early.
The visitors tallied five runs on four hits in the third, then added four on one in the fourth to take an 8-0 lead.
With Stone on the mound in relief, Eureka was able to keep the Panthers off the board for the fifth, sixth and seventh innings.
In the bottom of the seventh, the Red Devils rallied for four runs off three hits and a Panthers error.
With one out, Christman knocked his second triple of the day into right field, driving in O'Grady, who led off with a single, and Alex Barney (Sheldon, Ill./Milford), who reached on an error. Two batters later, Hill homered for the second time of the day, this time bringing in two runs.
Stone scored EC's last run of the day on a fielder's choice put in play by O'Grady during the eighth, but Greenville had put up two more runs in the eighth inning for insurance.
Christman went 2-for-4 with a triple, a pair of RBIs and a run scored. Stone went 2-for-4 with a double and a run scored. Hill recorded his second home run of the day and his career, while senior pitcher Gregory Cluskey (East Peoria, Ill./Metamora) played four innings in left field and ripped the first double of his career to in the fifth.
Coming Up
Weather permitting, Eureka (3-20, 2-16) is scheduled to host Greenville (5-22, 5-13) again in a 12 p.m. doubleheader Saturday at Henry Sand Field.
