Eureka Drops Season Opener at Illinois College, 16-6

JACKSONVILLE, Ill. – The Eureka baseball team opened its season with an afternoon road contest at Illinois College on Wednesday and fell 16-6.

The Red Devils notched six runs on 11 hits, but couldn't overcome conceding a series of big rallies to the Blueboys.

Senior Kyle Christman (Peru, Ill./La Salle-Peru) led Eureka at the plate, going 3-for-4 with a solo home run in the third inning and an RBI single in the ninth.

Freshman Braden Cross (Clinton, Ill./Clinton) had two hits and drove in a pair of runs in the ninth inning in his Red Devil debut. Karter Hostetler went 2-for-5 and drove in a run in his Red Devil debut, and junior transfer Jimmy Peterson (Bloomington, Ill./Homeschooled) went 2-for-4 in his first game for the maroon and gold.

Sophomore leadoff hitter Jelby Cheramie (Lockport, La./South Laforche) posted the team's only double and freshman Dylan Hill (Steeleville, Ill./Steeleville) plated the team's first run of the season with an RBI single in the second inning that scored Hostetler.

On the mound, the Red Devils used six pitchers, none of whom pitched more than 1 2/3 inning.

Trevor Wingard (Decatur, Ill./Meridian) and Parker Brodine (Brimfield, Ill./Elmwood-Brimfield) were the only ones to keep the Blueboys off the board. The Blueboys posted 16 hits on the day and drew seven walks.

Illinois Central's Griffin King recorded the win after holding EC to two earned runs on six hits with four strikeouts and one walk in six innings. The Red Devils scored four earned runs on five hits in three innings against reliever Dart Todd.

The Red Devils (0-1) will open St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference on the road Saturday at Spalding. First pitch of conference season is set for 2 p.m.