EUREKA, Ill. – Blackburn plated a pair of unearned runs in the top of the eighth inning, breaking a 6-6 tie and eventually holding on for an 8-6 St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference victory over the Eureka College baseball team, Wednesday afternoon at Henry Sand Field.

After the Red Devils (4-16, 0-8 SLIAC) scored twice in the seventh inning, the visiting Beavers (7-15, 5-4 SLIAC) took advantage of a pair of Eureka errors to get the runs back and take an 8-6 lead in the top of the eighth.  Brad Scott reached on an error to start the inning and quickly moved to second base on a sacrifice bunt.  After a single from Donny Fuhrhop moved Scott to third base, Jacob Jurczak lifted a fly ball to the outfield that was misplayed by the Red Devils, allowing Scott and Fuhrhop to score the go-ahead runs.  Blackburn reliever Ian Andrews worked an uneventful bottom of the ninth to pick up the save and help the Beavers sweep the season series from the Red Devils.

Trailing 3-2 in the sixth inning, Eureka was able to take its first lead of the afternoon when freshman designated hitter Jordan Hodel (Roanoke, Ill./Roanoke-Benson H.S.) collected a two-run double for a 4-3 Eureka lead.  The lead would be short-lived, as Blackburn pushed three runs across in the top of the seventh inning to lead 6-4.  Nick Cronin and Dan Witkus recorded RBI singles in the inning and Jurczak was able to score on a passed ball.

The Red Devils forced the second tie of the game with a two-run seventh inning.  After seniors Aaron Tolson (Peoria, Ill./Peoria Christian H.S.) and Alex Hess (Washington, Ill./Washington H.S./Illinois Central) recorded hits to start the inning, senior first baseman Tim Cashdollar (Morton, Ill./Morton H.S.) lifted a sacrifice fly to left field to score Tolson and cut the deficit to 8-7.  Two batters later, junior Mitch Johnson (Southern Pines, N.C./Pinecrest H.S.) singled to score Hess for the 8-8 tie.

Eureka sophomore starting pitcher John Berns (Herscher, Ill./Herscher H.S.) turned in a durable outing for the Red Devils, allowing four earned runs on 10 hits over 7.2 innings.  He struck out four Beavers.  Freshman Nate Louis (Putnam, Ill./Henry-Senachwine H.S.) didn't allow a run in 1.1 innings of relief work.  Johnson finished the game 2-for-2 with a walk, RBI, stolen base and run scored.

Eureka will take a break from SLIAC play this Friday when it visits NAIA-affiliated Roosevelt at 1:30 p.m.  The game is scheduled to be played on the campus of Prairie State College in Chicago Heights, Ill.  The Red Devils will return to Henry Sand Field and resume SLIAC play on Saturday in a 9-inning game versus Fontbonne at 3 p.m.