Hornets Prevent Eutectic Series Sweep with Split at Sunday DH

ALTON, ILL. – The Eutectic baseball team was just short of a sweep of the four-game American Midwest Conference (AMC) series against Harris-Stowe State University (Mo.), splitting Sunday's double header with the Hornets (3-8, 1-5 AMC) at UHSP home Lloyd Hopkins field. After a 2-0 start to the series on Saturday, the Eutectics came from behind to clinch Game 3 on Sunday at 5-4, but then could not recreate the victory in Game 4, falling 5-3.

GAME 1 HIGHLIGHTS:

• The Hornets first three batters put down three hits (single and two doubles) to score two runs right off the bat and take a lead they held through the fourth inning.
• In the bottom of the fourth, Ethan Harrell hit an RBI double to score Matthew McDonald and finally mark the board for the home team to make it a one-run game at 2-1.
• HSSU would score a run in each of the fifth and sixth innings off four hits to go up 4-1. But, in the bottom of the sixth, the Eutectics got things going with four hits, a walk, and a hit-by-pitch to score four runs before the first out. A Hornet pitching change followed, but the damage was done. The Eutectics held a 5-4 lead that they would not give up.
• UHSP starting pitcher racked up nine strikeouts in five innings, giving up three earned runs, eight hits, and two walks. Reliever Nolan Harding pitched two innings for the win, recording one strikeout, one hit, and one earned run.
• Deklan Riggs went 2-for-3 from the plate with two doubles and one run, while Holden Campbell was 2-for-4 with two RBIs for the Eutectics.       

GAME 2 HIGHLIGHTS:

• Harris-Stowe crashed out of the gate again in Game 2, racking up four runs on four hits in their first at-bat.
• The Eutectics closed the gap in the bottom of the fourth with three runs off three hits (from Holden Campbell, Nolan Harding, and Jacob Grim), two walks, a balk, and a sac fly.
• Still up 4-3, the Hornets extended that lead by one run off a walk and an error to take a 5-3 lead in the top of the fifth.
• The Eutectics still had three innings to catch up, but could not get the offense going. Aside from the lone hit from Deklan Riggs in the bottom of the seventh, their bats were quiet against winning pitchers Joseph Mann (six innings) and reliever Logan Schwerdt (one inning) who recorded the save.
• Jackson Wininger was charged with the loss on the mound for the Eutectics, striking out two, and allowing four hits, five earned runs, and four walks in five innings.
• Eutectic RBIs came from Ruben Ogando and Nolan Harding. Holden Campbell went 1-for-2 with one run.

NEXT UP:

Now 6-9 overall and 3-5 in the AMC, the Eutectics will play their fifth game in three days on Monday, Mar. 3, when they travel to Lebanon, Ill., for a non-conference single game at NCAA Division II McKendree University Bearcats (0-9) at 1 p.m.