Eureka Baseball Falls at Division I Bradley

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PEORIA, Ill. – Eureka College junior outfielder Michael Hammerstrand (Bloomington, Ill./Bloomington H.S.) collected his fourth career multi-hit game with a 2-for-3 showing at Bradley Tuesday night, but the Division I Braves pounded out 20 hits and scored multiple runs in all six innings en route to a 21-1 win over the Red Devils at O'Brien Field in Peoria, Ill.

Bradley plated five unearned runs in the first inning to blow the game open early.  The Braves scored three more runs in the second and third innings to lead 11-0 after three frames.

Eureka scored its only run of the game in the fifth inning when junior designated hitter Mitch Johnson (Southern Pines, N.C./Pinecrest H.S.) smashed a two-out double off the left field wall.  Johnson later moved to third on a wild pitch and scored when Bradley catcher Derek Sprout fired an errant throw into left field.

With five St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference games looming in the next four days for Eureka, the Red Devils used seven pitchers Tuesday night.  Freshman Bryan Meyer (Dunlap, Ill./Dunlap H.S.) made his team-high fifth start of the season, struck out one and didn't allow an earned run in 1.0 inning of work.

Rob Elliot and Jason Leblebijian recorded three hits apiece to lead the Braves to their sixth win in their last seven outings and improve to 15-7 on the year.

Tuesday's game was added to the schedule late Monday and was Eureka's first contest against a Division I opponent since the Red Devils dropped a 6-4 decision at Western Illinois on April 28, 2009.  The Red Devils will now turn their attention to the 24-game St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference schedule when they visit Blackburn Wednesday for a 1:30 p.m. doubleheader in Carlinville, Ill.