The Eureka Tornado baseball team concluded their season last Wednesday, May 8, at Sedgwick, when they fell to Wichita-The Independent, 8-9, in the play-in game for the 2-1A Rosalia-Flinthills Regionals.
Despite out-hitting the Panthers 11-4, Eureka was outscored by Wichita-The Independent 8-9 and concluded their season with a 1-16 overall record.
The Tornadoes gave up two runs in both the first and second innings, but fought back in the third to take a 5-4 lead. Eureka scored on a double, single, a steal of home, a dropped third strike, a ground out and another single. Scoring for Eureka were Tanner Biering, Carl Biering, Jean Philippe Guillaume, Ethan Bauer and Davian Damron.
The Panthers would tally two more runs in the fourth with Bauer again crossing the plate in the bottom of the fourth to tie the game at 6. Wichita- The Independent recorded two more runs in the fifth and held the Tornadoes scoreless in the inning. Both teams tallied one run in the sixth with Bauer again crossing the plate for Eureka.
In the seventh, the Tornadoes trailed 7-9 and went to bat with hopes of recording three runs to claim the win. Eureka recorded one single by Guillaume in the inning which scored Dalton Pool; but it wasn’t enough to force additional innings and the Tornadoes concluded their season.
Pool, Noah Rippy, Owen Morris, Kaleb Hollis, and Guillaume each drove in one run. Braden Grimmett, C. Biering, Damron, Hollis and Bauer each stole multiple bases, leading the team to a total of 15 stolen bas-es during the game.
T. Biering started on the hill for Eureka, striking out 10 during the three and 2/3 innings. C. Biering finished for the Tornadoes at the mound, striking out five. The brothers pitched a total of 87 strikes.
Eureka finished the 2023-24 season, the first season under head coach Thomas Lowe, with an overall record of 1-16.
