Eureka Softball Team Wins Sectional Game

Eureka High School girls' varsity softball athletes got really pumped up like true Wildcats prior to Wednesday's Sectional game against Webster Groves, and burst into action at the top of the first inning. Then they didn't look back. Neither did Eureka's pitcher Maddie Krumrey, who achieved a no-hitter.

Rain sprinkles and thunder clouds threatened to open up toward the end of the game at Eureka, but spirits were never dampened for the Wildcats and their large crowd of fans. Eureka had not had a since 1999.

Saint Louis Billikens softball recruiter Pat Kies attended the game as well. He said he was looking closely at senior and junior players to locate talent. He said he believed the scholarship landscape for D-1 softball has remained steady for the past few years, but that teams now seek ways to streamline costs, such as using more bus trips for transportation instead of flying.

A sports broadcasting company Prepcasts aired a live audio feed from the game, which is archived and still .

faces Seckman High for the second Sectional game at noon Saturday. The game will be played on Seckman's field. Seckman beat Hillsboro 3-2 Wednesday night in an eight-inning game.

"Saturday is part two," Eureka head softball coach Mark Mosley told his team. "Momentum is the key word and has been our main phrase for the past three weeks."

He said, "Saturday's a big one, but we've had that mindset for a while."

Webster Groves head softball coach Bryan Gibson said this year's team won 20 games, tying the school's standing softball record. "We shattered offensive softball records."

Gibson said Webster Groves had not had a District champion team since 1981. "We have a lot to hang our hats on this year," he said. "Eureka's just a heck of a team."

He complimented the four Webster Groves senior players — Molly Dougan, Hanleigh Shepard, Andrea Kopczynski, and Beth Sitterley — for leading the way and pulling the group together. "We also have a great group to build on for next year."