EUREKA, Ill. – The Red Devils dominated Maranatha Baptist in a doubleheader sweep Monday at Henry Sand Field. Game 1 featured a 6-0 win, powered by Colton Yanish's complete-game shutout, while Game 2 ended in a commanding 25-0 victory, highlighted by Ethan McDonald's no-hitter.
GAME 1 – Eureka 6, Maranatha Baptist 0
The Red Devils secured a dominant 6-0 victory over Maranatha Baptist in Game 1 on Monday at Henry Sand Field.
Eureka wasted no time getting on the board in the first inning. Noah Company (Le Roy, Ill./Le Roy) and Nickolas Cartmill (Fort Worth, Texas/Burleson) both walked and advanced through a series of steals before Jon Leon Guerrero (Temecula, Calif./Great Oak) delivered a double to the left field wall, driving in two runs. Guerrero's aggressive baserunning, including a steal of third, allowed him to score on an infield fly, giving the Red Devils an early 3-0 lead.
In the third inning, Eureka extended its lead. Guerrero walked and stole both second and third, followed by Grant Hackney's (Morton, Ill./Morton) walk. Brandt King (Rockford, Ill./Stillman Valley) then grounded out, allowing Guerrero to score. Moments later, Ethan Hedge (Pekin, Ill./Pekin) came through with an RBI single, scoring Hackney and pushing the lead to 5-0.
The Red Devils added one more run in the fifth. King singled to right center and stole second and third before Hedge grounded out, bringing King home to make it 6-0.
On the mound, Eureka's pitching and defense were dominant, holding the Sabercats to just one hit. Colton Yanish (LaSalle-Peru, Ill./LaSalle-Peru Township) was lights out, throwing a complete game shutout with nine strikeouts, allowing only one hit. The Red Devils' defense was stellar, limiting Maranatha Baptist to just two baserunners all game.
GAME NOTES
- Jon Leon Guerrero went 1-for-2 with a double, two RBIs, and two runs scored.
- Ethan Hedge contributed with three RBIs, delivering in key moments.
- Brandt King recorded a hit, an RBI, and three stolen bases.
- Colton Yanish pitched a complete game shutout, allowing just one hit and striking out nine.
GAME 2 – Eureka 25, Maranatha Baptist 0
The Red Devils delivered a historic performance on Monday in Game 2 at Henry Sand Field, securing a dominant 25-0 victory over Maranatha Baptist. This win marked the second-largest margin of victory in program history and was highlighted by a no-hitter from Ethan McDonald (Mannford, Okla./Mannford).
Eureka set the tone early with a six-run first inning. Joshua Frenden (New Port Richey, Fla./River Ridge) walked and later scored on an Hayden McKenna (Sheridan, Ill./Marquette Academy) double. The rally continued with key contributions, including a two-RBI single from Ethan Hedge and another two-RBI single from David Hidden (East Peoria, Ill./East Peoria), giving the Red Devils a commanding 6-0 lead.
The Red Devils tacked on another run in the third. Ace Padilla (Castle Rock, Colo./Grayslake North) singled, advanced on an error, and later scored on an Ethan Hedge sacrifice fly, extending the lead to 7-0.
The game completely broke open in the sixth, as Eureka erupted for 13 runs. Conor Fitzpatrick (North Barrington, Ill./Barrington) delivered a two-run triple and later scored on an error. Andrew Sprinkle (Dorsey, Ill./Edwardsville) followed with a three-RBI double to right field, capping off a relentless offensive explosion.
While the offense dominated, the Red Devils' pitching was equally impressive. Ethan McDonald was lights out on the mound, tossing a complete-game no-hitter. He went seven innings without allowing a hit, striking out six, and finishing with a perfect WHIP of 0.00.
GAME NOTES
- Ethan McDonald threw a complete-game no-hitter, striking out sixteen.
- Conor Fitzpatrick had a monster game, going 2-for-3 with a triple, four RBIs, and four runs scored, posting a 3.000 OPS.
- Andrew Sprinkle drove in three runs with a double, finishing with a 1.500 OPS.
- Ben Perrine (Payson, Ill./Payson Seymour) and Ethan Hedge each contributed three RBIs to the Red Devils' offensive outburst.
- Eureka's 25-run margin of victory is the second largest in program history.