Eureka, IL  4/21/2024: The Westminster College Baseball team traveled to Eureka, Illinois, to take on the Eureka College Red Devils. On Saturday, Game 1 was a heartbreaker for the Blue Jays as they fell by a score of 17-15 on a walk-off home run. They rebounded to take a 5-4 lead into the top of the 8th in Game 2 when the game was suspended due to darkness. The offense came back out firing on all cylinders when the game resumed to win Game 2 by a score of 11-4. Game 3 on Sunday was yet another offensive affair, with the Blue Jays losing the rubber match of the series by a score of 23-16. After the series, Eureka improved to one game above .500 on the year at 16-15 (7-7 SLIAC). Westminster now stands at 13-21 (6-8 SLIAC). They are back in action on Tuesday, April 23 as they head across town to take on their Fulton rivals, William Woods University, at 6:00 PM. 

Game One Recap: 

• Troy Romero got the game started off right, going to the opposite field for a leadoff home run to start the game. 

• The Blue Jays would later score four more runs in the inning by way of a Matt Lukins double, a Chris Louie RBI groundout, a Keli'i Price single, and a Troy Romero bases-loaded walk. 

• The Blue Jays would extend their lead to 7 in the 2nd after an RBI groundout from Keli'i Price and an RBI double from Jason Pesold. 

• Eureka answered in the bottom half of the 2nd by taking advantage of defensive woes by the Blue Jays, scoring four runs in the inning. 

• By the 4th inning, it was a two-run game, where the Blue Jays blew their lead giving up four runs in the half inning, three of which were unearned. The Red Devils lead by a score of 9-8 after 4. 

• The Blue Jays answered right back in the top halves of the 5th and 6th innings, plating two runs in each inning to take a 13-9 lead. 

• The Blue Jays allowed another unearned run in the bottom of the 6th, making the game 13-10. 

• The Red Devils won the 7th and 8th innings by scoring a run in each inning to cut the Westminster lead to 13-12. 

• The Blue Jays scored two more in the 9th to extend their lead to three, but Ryan Mills would blow a save due to more defensive miscues, which would send the game to extras tied at 15. 

• Hayden Sanborn would come in to pitch in the 10th to try and keep the game tied at 15. He would allow two hits including a walk off two run home run to to take the loss by a score of 17-15. 

Inside the Box Score: 

3B Troy Romero: 5-6, BB, 2B, HR, 4 R's, 3 RBI's, SB. 

SS Payton Whitehead: 3-5, HBP, SAC Fly, 2B, 3 R's, 2 RBI's, SB. 

1B Matt Lukins: 2-5, HBP, 2 2B's, 2 R's, 3 RBI's. 

SP Derek Archer: 3.1 IP, 7 H, 7 R, 5 ER, 3 BB, 1 K. 

RP Hayden Sanborn (L, 0-1): 0.1 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 HR. 

Game Two Recap: 

• The Blue Jays would trail this one early, going scoreless in the top half of the 1st before SP Bode Gebbink allowed 3 in the bottom half. 

• Westminster would claw back in the 3rd with a Keli'i Price solo home run and a Payton Whitehead two RBI double to tie it at 3. 

• A Payton Whitehead opposite field solo home run in the 5th gave the Blue Jays a 4-3 lead. 

• The Blue Jays and Red Devils traded runs in the 7th with a Chris Louie SAC fly driving in a run in the top half highlighting the Blue Jay 7th inning, making the score 5-4 when the game would be suspended until Sunday. 

• Payton Whitehead continued his great game notching a 2 RBI single to extend the Blue Jay lead to 7-4. 

• Westminster's offense would later score 4 more runs and would hold on to win game two by a score of 11-4, giving Bode Gebbink his 4th win of the year. 

Inside the Box Score: 

SS Payton Whitehead: 3-6, 2B, HR, 2 R's, 5 RBI's, SB. 

CF Keli'i Price: 2-5, HR, 1 R, 1 RBI. 

SP Bode Gebbink (W, 4-6): 7 IP, 9 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 3 BB, 2 K's, W. 

RP Charlie Schweppe: 2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 2 K's. 

Game Three: 

• The Blue Jay offense did not mess around in this one, starting it off with a 6 spot in the first after some defensive miscues from the Red Devils. 

• They would extend the lead to 8 in the top of the 2nd scoring two more unearned runs, before SP Kaleb Hinkle-Pruitt allowed a 6 spot in the bottom half stemming from a double and two home runs. 

• Payton Whitehead would add to his phenomenal weekend in the top of the third hitting a 3-run homer to extend the Blue Jay lead to 11-6. 

• Salvador Moncada would come in to relieve Hinkle-Pruitt in the 3rd and fail to record an out facing four hitters and allowing four runs including a three-run home run. 

• Ben Kennebeck would relieve him and allow 1 run in that inning and two more in the 4th.  

• Logan McCurley would come in relief of him and get charged with the loss, giving up 5 ER in a third of an inning of work. 

• After getting down 19-12 after 5, Domenic Nordmann would drive in a run on a fielder's choice to make the score 19-13. 

• The Blue Jays would give up two runs in the 7th before Payton Whitehead and Trent Rueckert each get credited with RBI's by way of a single and a bases loaded HBP in the top of the 8th. Westminster then trailed by a score of 21-15. 

• The Blue Jays allowed two more in the bottom half of the 8th to make the score 23-15 in favor of Eureka. 

• Troy Romero would do his part in the top of the 9th to put up a fight for the Blue Jays, registering a SAC fly, but it was not enough. The Blue Jays fall in game three by a score of 23-16. 

Inside the Box Score: 

3B Troy Romero: 2-4, BB, HBP, SAC Fly, 3 R's, 1 RBI, 2 SB's. 

DH Payton Whitehead: 2-5, BB, HR, 2 R's, 4 RBI's, SB. 

CF Aden Pecka: 1-2, 4 BB's, 3 R's, 1 RBI. 

SP Kaleb Hinkle-Pruitt: 2 IP, 4 H, 6 R, 6 ER, 3 BB, 1 K, 2 HR. 

RP Logan McCurley (L, 1-1): 0.1 IP, 4 H, 5 R, 5 ER, 1 BB. 

The Blue Jays will be back in action on Tuesday, April 23rd when they take on cross-town William Woods University in a 9-inning game at 6:00 at William Woods.