Eureka, Ill., March 21, 2021 – The Blue Jays baseball team came into Sundays doubleheader at Eureka College looking to try to get back to .500 in conference play. They would do just that as they would score 29 runs on the day pounding out 25 hits and hitting 8 home runs in rout to a double header sweep. 12-7 in game one and 17-3 in seven innings in game two.
Game 1 Boxscore
The Blue Jays would take a little while to get going in game one as they trailed 2-0 heading into the top of the fifth. The Jays would get going as Coltin Green would single to start the inning. Parker Schnieders walked and the Jays were in business. Bryce McKinnon moved the runners up. Austin Mayton singled to center field to drive in two runs and tie the game at 2-2. Steven Diaz would untie the game with his third home run of the season, a two run shot that gave the Blue Jays a 4-2 lead.
The Red Devils would respond in the bottom of the fifth to tie the score at 4-4. The Top of the sixth would see the Blue Jays explode for six runs. The big hits in the inning included a Ben Parks two run single and a Payton Whitehead RBI double. When the inning was done the Jays would lead 10-4.
Bryce McKinnon homered to left center in the top of the eighth and then in the top of the ninth the Blue Jays would add their final run of the game on a Hunter Mulholland RBI double that made it 12-6. The Red Devils would add a run on a home run in the bottom half for the final score of the game as Westminster won the game 12-7.
Mayton, Whitehead, Mulholland, Green and McKinnon each contributed two hits to the Blue Jay attack. Steven Diaz recorded a team high three runs batted in. Parks and Mayton would each drive in two runs for the Blue Jays.
Grant Higginbotham (2-1) worked four innings giving up 4 runs on 5 hits. He struck out six and walked four to get the victory. Jacob Waeltermann and Jayme Bertish would combine to keep the Red Devils off balance and preserve the Blue Jay win.
Game 2 Boxscore
Game two would get off to a great start for the Blue Jays as they would score 12 unanswered runs over the first four innings. The Blue Jays would not look back taking a 17-3 win.
In the top of the first inning Peyton Whitehead would hit a one out solo home run to give the Jays a 1-0 lead. The next inning saw the Blue Jays score yet another run on a solo home run by Coltin Green, the first of his collegiate career, staking the Blue Jays to a 2-0 lead.
The third inning would see the Jays add three runs on a Hunter Mulholland RBI single and then a Logan Thompson two RBI single to take a 6-0 lead after three.
The fourth inning would see the Blue Jays double their run production. Bryce McKinnon would start it off by hitting his second home run of the day. Steven Diaz would single and then Peyton Whitehead would hit a two-run home run to left. Logan Thompson would add a sacrifice fly and Austin Mayton would hit a two-run double to stake the Blue Jays to a commanding 12-0 lead.
The Blue Jays would add three runs in the top of the fifth with the big hit being a Parker Schnieders two RBI single. Austin Mayton would hit the first home run of his collegiate career in the sixth and Green would hit his second home run of the day and the eighth of the day for the Blue Jays for the final score of 17-3.
Mayton would lead the Jays at the plate with a three hit performance while Green and Whitehead would contribute two hits each. Whitehead, Thompson and Mayton each drove in three runs. Mulholland, Green, and Schnieders would all collect two RBI's apiece.
Freshman Matt Trout (2-0) went five solid innings giving up three runs on seven hits. He struck out six and walked none. Trent Morrow made his collegiate pitching debut working two scoreless innings while striking out three and walking none.
With the two wins the Blue Jays improve to 5-2 overall and 2-2 in the SLIAC.
The Blue Jays will be back at it on Monday as they complete the four-game series at Eureka College. Games three and four are scheduled for 12:00 p.m. and 3:00 p.m. first pitches.
