10/11 Eagle Report

The Sullivan football squad was hit with an emotional setback in their Homecoming game against Hermann, and it was up to the Eagles to put that game behind them and have a good week of practice. Unfortunately for the Saint James Tigers, that’s exactly what Eddie Haar’s team did.

The Eagles came out with a heavy package to start the game and attempt to establish their running game. Strong play up-front by St. James stifled Haar’s strategy, before the Tigers scored a field position victory and pinned Sullivan on their own goal line, resulting in an eventual safety. Another touchdown put St. James up 9-0. But that’s about when Franky Erxleben was able to break out.

The senior running back was able to establish over one hundred yards rushing in the first half, and finish the game with over two hundred yards. His efforts helped Sullivan rattle off 25 unanswered points that St. James wouldn’t be able to recover from.

Strong defensive efforts all-around kept St. James off the board until later in the game. The Tigers did try to stage a comeback in which they were down 16 points with limited time remaining, but a failed two-point attempt following a St. James touchdown all but sealed their fate. Sullivan was able to improve to 5-2 on the season and sit firmly atop their District standings.

The Lady Eagles softball team was able to play what was probably their most complete game of the season against St. Francis-Borgia in a contest that was likely to establish the District’s No. 1 seed.

It was a hitting showcase by committee, as well as a defensive masterpiece from the Lady Eagles when they needed it the most. Fielding was crisp and movements were sharp. Fielders focused on fundementals all afternoon as Ashley Crump’s team was able to put together an error-free game. Web gems were plentiful as junior Molly Lohden had a catch where she fell over the center-field wall, popping up on the other side of the fence with the ball still in hand.

But one of the biggest plays of the season came from freshman Alyssa Beers as she dove with full extension to make a catch that would have made any Sportscenter Top 10. The catch ended the inning and lit an emotional fire under the players that they rode until the game was called in the sixth inning, 14-0.

The following morning, Sullivan was announced as the No. 1 seed in the District, despite not having as good of a record as St. Francis-Borgia. The head-to-head victory, as well as Sullivan’s strength of schedule, contributed to the seeding decision.

The Lady Eagles then traveled to the FCNB Rolla Softball Invitational where they hoped to keep their good form rolling, but the good times couldn’t continue as the Lady Eagles were swept on their first day in three games against Tolton Catholic (Columbia), Neelyville and Willard, respectively. Day two of the tournament saw Sullivan beat Warrensburg and Wright City to finish on a high note before District play begins. The Lady Eagles will take on Normandy Collaborative at 4:00 pm on Thursday October 12 in a game you can hear on 102.1 KTUI. Radio coverage will begin at 3:45.