Eureka are taking a road trip to face off against Westminster Christian at 4:15 p.m. on Friday. The two teams have allowed few runs on average (Eureka 3.3, Westminster Christian 2.3) so any runs scored will be well earned.
Eureka is probably headed into the matchup with a chip on their shoulder considering Marquette just ended the team's nine-game winning streak on Thursday. They fell 10-7 to the Mustangs. The pitching woes were uncharacteristic for the Wildcats, who until this contest were averaging 3.31 runs allowed.
Haley Deakin was cooking despite her team's loss, firing off two home runs while going 2-for-4. Those home runs were her first of the season. The team also got some help courtesy of Kayleigh Niles, who went 2-for-4 with one home run, three RBI, and one stolen base.
Meanwhile, Westminster Christian had already won ten in a row (a stretch where they outscored their opponents by an average of 7.4 runs) and they went ahead and made it 11 on Thursday. They were the clear victors by an 18-0 margin over the Red Knights. Give the Wildcats' pitching crew some credit: that's the team's third straight shutout.
Jaymison Lenk was a major factor while hitting and pitching. On the mound, she tossed three innings while giving up no earned runs off three hits. She has been nothing but reliable: she hasn't given up more than one earned run in four consecutive appearances. She was also solid in the batter's box, getting on base in three of her four plate appearances with two runs and one RBI.
In other batting news, Westminster Christian got a massive performance out of Charlie Berkmeyer, who went a perfect 2-for-2 with three runs, three RBI, and two doubles. Those three runs gave Berkmeyer a new career-high. Another player making a difference was Addi Drumm, who went a perfect 3-for-3 with two runs, two doubles, and two RBI.
Westminster Christian always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .727. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Incarnate Word Academy only posted an OBP of .385.
Westminster Christian's record is now 13-6. As for Eureka, their loss dropped their record down to 13-3.
Friday's game will be a test for both teams' pitchers. Eureka hasn't had any issues making contact this season, having earned a batting average of .339. However, it's not like Westminster Christian struggles in that department as they've averaged .367. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Eureka came up short against Westminster Christian when the teams last played back in September of 2024, falling 5-1. Can Eureka avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
