Eureka, IL 4/29/2023- The Westminster College baseball team traveled to Eureka, Illinois on Saturday for a doubleheader against Eureka College. The Red Devils would sweep the Blue Jays winning 10-8 and 12-10 in the tenth inning after two high-scoring games.
Game One: Box Score
Trent Morrow (Russellville, Mo. / Russellville) got the start in game one. He would pitch five innings and a third, giving up five runs on seven hits, striking out three, and giving up two walks. Corbin Harrison (Eldon, Mo / Eldon) came in and pitched an inning and two-thirds. Matt Trout (Lee's Summit, Mo. / Blue Springs South) would pitch the bottom of the eighth inning.
The Red Devils would get on the board first after scoring three runs in the bottom of the second that included a two-run home run. Westminster would answer in the top of the third with two runs of their own. Troy Romero (Trophy Club, TX / Byron Nelson) would score Matt Lukins (Clark, Mo / Rock Bridge) with a sacrifice fly. Payton Whitehead (Belleville, Il. / Belleville West) then doubled to right center field to score Steven Diaz (Highland, Il. / Highland)
Eureka would have a big inning in the bottom of the sixth inning posting six runs to make it 9-2. The Blue Jays came back with a six-run inning of their own in the top of the seventh to make it a 9-8 game. Spencer Keiser (Old Monroe, Mo / Winfield) led off the inning with a bang, hitting a solo home run to right center. Whitehead would step to the plate with the bases loaded and one out. He would double again, this time to center field, scoring Lukins (BB), Diaz (1b), and Romero (HBP). Skyler Bushey (Saint Albans, Vt / Bellows Free Academy) hit the second home run of the inning sending one over the centerfield fence. It would be his twelfth home run of the season, tying all the all-time season record in the NCAA era. He would score Whitehead and himself to make it a 9-8 game.
Westminster would get the tying run-scoring position in the top of the eighth inning with one out but would be unable to bring him home. Eureka would score a run in the bottom of the inning and win the game 10-8.
Game Two: Box Score
The Blue Jays looked to rebound and split the doubleheader putting Bode Gebbink (St, Joseph, Il. / St. Joeseph-Ogden) who came into the game second in the SLIAC in wins this season. He would go five innings, striking out four and walking six batters including two hit by pitches. He would give up two runs on three hits. Brain Henke (Silex, Mo/ Silex), Jake Waelteramnn (Barnhart, MO / Seckman), and Kaleb Hinkle-Pruett (Alton, IL / Roxana) would combine for three strikeouts, 10 runs, and 11 hits.
Bushey would hit his 13th home run of the season in the top of the second inning, giving the Blue Jays an early 1-0. He now holds the all-time season record in the NCAA era with 13 home runs and counting. He surpasses Jon Robertson, who held the previous record with 12 back in 1994.
Eureka would score two runs in the bottom of the fourth inning to take a 2-1 lead. Westminster would take the lead back in the top of the sixth inning after Keiser hit a two-RBI single to give the Jays a 3-2 lead. The Red Devils would score seven runs in the bottom of the sixth to regain the lead, 9-3. Westminster would try to come back by chipping away at the lead, scoring one run in the top of the seventh off a Whitehead sacrifice fly. Coltin Green (St. Anthony, Mo. / St. Elizabeth) hit a two-run home run in the top of the eighth. Quin Adelson (Louisville, KY / North Oldham) hit a two-run home run of his own in the top of the ninth. Then Green would tie the game at 9-9 with an RBI single. The Blue Jays would take a 10-9 lead in the top of the tenth inning after a sacrifice fly by Whitehead. The Red Devils would tie the game and then walk it off with a two-run home run in the bottom of the tenth inning.
Westminster will be back in action tomorrow when they take on Eureka College for the third and final game of the series. The first pitch is scheduled for 1:00 PM
