Euts can't hold lead in AMC G1; Calmes incredible in G2 but falls an out short

O'FALLON, MO – In what has been a season full of heart-stopping games, the Eutectics' campaign came to a heartbreaking end on Tuesday night on the first day of the 27^th Annual American Midwest Conference Tournament. UHSP ace Barrett Lohman had a rough third inning as the Eutectics could not hold onto an early four-run lead in their first-ever game in the Conference Tournament, falling to 3-Mission, 12-4. Head Coach Rick Heines then turned to Tristan Calmes to try and extend the Euts season to day two. Calmes gave everything he had throwing 152 pitches, taking a no-hitter into the seventh, but eventually seeing 5-William Woods pulling out a 5-4 win on a Jacob McWhirter game-winner on an RBI single with two outs in the ninth. Calmes recorded his 12^th and final strikeout the batter before McWhirter, but a wild pitch allowed the batter to reach and set the stage for McWhirter's heroics.

GAME 1 HIGHLIGHTS (AMC FIRST ROUND):

3-MISSION 12, 6-UHSP 4

• Brandon Gibbs opened the game with a leadoff triple to extend his hitting streak to 19 games. He would go 3-for-5 finishing a double shy of the cycle.
• Caden Buxton drilled his fifth homerun of the season in the second to put UHSP on top 2-0.
• Gibbs made it 3-0 when he hit his fifth longball of the season in the third.
• Matthew McDonald capped the UHSP scoring with a third-inning RBI double to score Jacob Grim and put the Eutectics on top 4-0.
• The Patriots took the lead with a 7-run third as at one point they strung six consecutive hits together in the frame.
• Barrett Lohman (5-6) got the start for the Eutectics and could not hold the early 4-0 lead. The UHSP ace went five innings and left after allowing seven runs on as many hits. He walked and struck out three.
• Trey Mulholland (6-2) picked up the win in relief going three shutout innings allowing just two hits. Mulholland settled things down after starter Jude Tenny allowed four runs over his three innings allowing five hits while striking out three.
• Logan Stribling got the ball in the sixth and did not survive the inning yielding four runs on four hits, walking one and striking out two.
• Gavin Long came to go the final 2.1IP with Mission scoring a run off him on a hit. Long walked four and fanned three.

GAME 2 HIGHLIGHTS:

5-WILLIAM WOODS 5, 6-UHSP 4 (AMC ELIMINATION GAME)

• Matthew McDonald put the Euts on top 1-0 with a sac fly in the first to score Brandon Gibbs.
• Gibbs had a leadoff double in the third to see his consecutive game hit streak reach 20 games in the season finale.
• Caden Buxton drilled a fourth inning solo homerun for his sixth of the season, his second of the day giving UHSP a 2-0 lead.
• Tristan Calmes suffered a heart-wrenching loss. He lost a no-hitter with two outs in the seventh on a two out single by Caden Casso. He fell to 5-6 with the loss as he went 8.2IP allowing five runs on five hits with only three runs earned. He walked six and struck out a dozen. He fell one shy of his season-high for strikeouts.
• AJ Vasquez started for the Owls and went 5.2IP. He yielded two runs on four hits, walked three and fanned seven.
• Carson Prescott, who leads the AMC in saves, ended up with the win (2-0). He gave a run on three hits over 1.1IP.
• Nolan Harding and Jacob Grim extended the UHSP lead to 4-1 with RBI singles in a two-run eighth.

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The Eutectics ended up building nicely on their inaugural season in 2024 when they went 11-29, 4-17 in the AMC. This year, UHSP turned in a 22-30 season and finished just shy of .500 in conference play at 16-20.