The Eureka Tornado baseball team opened their season last week with home match-ups against Southern Lyon County (SLC) and West Elk.
Eureka first took the field on Monday, March 31, where they faced SLC in a doubleheader.
SLC jumped out to the lead in the top of the first inning as they scored three runs. However, Eureka answered with the first batters, Jean-Philippe Guillaume, Tristan Milner and Tanner Biering loading the bases on a single and two walks. Ethan Bauer was also walked which scored Guillaume. Milner and Biering were also able to make their way around the bases to score for the Tornadoes before the inning concluded. Both teams were tied at 3 going into the second, where neither scored.
SLC continued to add runs throughout the next four innings with the Tornadoes only able to get one more run across home plate in the fifth. The final run came after Milner singled and later rounded the bases.
Eureka senior Biering started on the mound. The right-handed pitcher surrendered five hits over two and one-third innings, striking out four and walking two.
The Tornadoes lost the game 4-18.
Eureka continued to struggle in game two against SLC, falling 2-20.
Scoring for Eureka were Davian Damron and Guillaume. Against West Elk
On Thursday, April 3, the Tornadoes faced West Elk at home.
West Elk got on the board in the top of the first inning after Jacob Tucker and Garett Usry singled and Trent Haag doubled, with Tucker and Usry each scoring to claim an early 2-0 lead.
Eureka’s Biering doubled and Brody Mitchell singled in the first, with Biering and Bauer each crossing home plate to tie the Patriots at 2.
Both team were scoreless in the second; however, both were able to add runs in the third.
West Elk scored Haag to claim the edge over the Tornadoes; however, Eureka answered with two runs of their own. The first run came as Biering made it home on a double by Guillaume. Guillaume also later stole home on a wild pitch and Eureka took a 4-2 lead.
In the fourth, West Elk and Eureka both went scoreless, but the Patriot offense was strong in the fifth, scoring three to the Eureka’s 1.
West Elk added one more run in the sixth to end the scoring, with the Patriots winning the game 7-5.
Biering led things off on the bump for Eureka. The hurler allowed nine hits and six runs (five earned) over five innings, striking out nine and walking one. Jared Tucker began the game for West Elk. He gave up three hits and four runs over three and onethird innings, striking out five and walking four.
Eureka collected nine hits in the game. Mitchell went 3-for-4 at the plate to lead the Tornadoes in hits. Bauer, Biering, Mitchell and Dalton Pool each stole multiple bases for Eureka, as the Tornadoes stole 13 bases in the game.
The Patriots accumulated 10 hits in the game. Clancy Cummings, Jaxson Bogdahn and Haag each collected two hits for West Elk. Josh Bliss, Cummings, Bogdahn, Haag and Kase Kill each drove in one run for the Patriots. Jacob Tucker, Cummings and Kill each stole multiple bases, as the Patriots stole 10 bases during the game.
In junior varsity action, the Patriots won the game 12-2.
Up Next
The Tornadoes are slated to travel to Flinthills on Thursday, April 10 for varsity and junior varsity games. Games are scheduled to begin at 4:30 p.m. Eureka will return home on Tuesday, April 15, against Humboldt.
West Elk will compete at South Sumner on Monday, April 14, before hosting Udall on Thursday, April 17.
