JACKSONVILLE, Ill. – The Elmhurst baseball team dropped a pair of games, falling 8-7 to Eureka College and 11-5 to Illinois College, after a two-week layoff due to poor weather.
 
Elmhurst fell to 1-3 on the season with the two losses.
 
EUREKA 8, ELMHURST 7 – Elmhurst led out to a 5-2 lead after five innings, but Eureka capitalized on some Elmhurst wildness to plate five runs in the seventh inning and earn the victory.
 
RBI singles from Trevor Horwath and Trey Compton staked Elmhurst to a 3-1 lead in the bottom of the second. Eureka plated a run in the third, but Compton doubled home a run in the fourth and Calvin Truong doubled in a run in the fifth to put Elmhurst up 5-2.
 
Eureka plated a run in the sixth to cut the Bluejays' lead down to two. The Red Devils loaded the bases with three straight singles in the seventh. After loading the bases, Eureka scored five runs on just one additional hit. A pair of hit batters, a walk, and a wild pitch helped Eureka score four runs and take an 8-5 lead in the process.
 
Jordan Scrimpsher doubled home two runs in the eighth to bring Elmhurst to within one, but the Bluejays stranded a runner in scoring position in the eighth and the ninth, finishing one run short.
 
Elmhurst finished with 15 hits with Karson Thomas totaling three in the loss. Truong, Compton, Scrimpsher and Horwath added two hits apiece for Elmhurst.
 
Alex Kielion made the start and took the loss, surrendering six hits and six runs over six innings of work.
 
ILLINOIS COLLEGE 11, ELMHURST 5 – The Bluejays were done in by a big inning as Illinois College scored seven runs in the bottom of the sixth to rally from a 5-3 deficit.
 
Elmhurst raced out to a 3-0 lead in the second. Kevin Johlie drove in a run on a sacrifice fly and Compton added an RBI single to put the Bluejays on the scoreboard.
 
Illinois College scored a run in the third and two in the fourth to pull even at 3-3. Chad Tucker smashed a two-run homer in the top of the sixth to move the Bluejays back in front, but Illinois College posted a seven-spot in the bottom of the sixth to blow the game open.
 
Jay Palmer made the start and took a no-decision, tossing four innings and allowing four hits and three runs. He walked three while fanning six. Tyler Sloan took the loss in relief, allowing two hits and three runs in one inning.
 
Elmhurst plays at MacMurray College on March 18.