Eagles Heat Up in Florida, Go 9-2 on Road Trip
The 17th-ranked Kirkwood Eagles escaped the cold and headed to Florida for a series of games, looking to build momentum for the season. The trip started strong with a doubleheader sweep against Ridgewater College. The Eagles took Game 1 with a 2-1 victory, thanks to RBIs from Clayton Campidilli and Blake Lundholm. Andrew Carroll dominated on the mound, earning the win with an impressive 16 strikeouts.
In Game 2, Kirkwood's bats came alive in a 10-0 rout. Nathan Motl crushed a home run, while Cal Sullivan (3 RBIs) and Ty Andrews (2 RBIs) fueled the offense. Boede Rahe was stellar on the mound, pitching 5 innings with 10 strikeouts.
Next, Kirkwood took on Bryant & Stratton, winning in a high-scoring affair, 19-6. Addison Binnie led the way with 5 RBIs, while Alex Altmann and Jaxon Schumacher each drove in 3 runs, both hitting triples. Beau Leisure picked up the win, tossing 3.1 innings with 6 strikeouts.
The Eagles' offense stayed red-hot in their 18-6 victory over Lake Region State. Multiple players contributed RBIs, with Lane Spieker, Cal Sullivan, Clayton Campidilli, and Matt Stoltenberg each driving in 2, while Landon Frost led with 3 RBIs. Campidilli and Stoltenberg both homered. Ayden Schrunk got the win, striking out 5 batters over 3 innings.
Kirkwood kept rolling with a 12-2 victory over Moraine Valley, led by Clayton Campidilli's two home runs, adding to his scorching start to the season. Cal Sullivan also homered, while Josh Loren secured the win, recording 4 strikeouts over 4 innings.
The Eagles faced Lake Region and Moraine Valley again the next day and repeated their success. Kirkwood erupted for 22 runs against Lake Region, with five different players hitting home runs, including two by Landon Frost. Against Moraine Valley, the Eagles edged out a close 5-4 win behind Reece Wrage's strong 6-inning performance (9 strikeouts). Pierce Anderson closed out the game, striking out one batter to earn the win.
In the final stretch of the trip, Kirkwood split its last four games, going 2-2 against Prairie State College and Delgado Community College. After dropping the first game to Prairie State, the Eagles bounced back with a dominant 19-2 victory. Landon Frost led with 4 RBIs, while Addison Binnie, Cal Sullivan, Clayton Campidilli, and Ty Andrews each drove in 2 runs. Jackson Niederwerder picked up the win, striking out 6 over 6 innings.
Kirkwood started its doubleheader against Delgado with a 9-1 win, featuring a home run from Cal Sullivan and 4 RBIs from Campidilli. Andrew Carroll once again dazzled, striking out 10 over 6 innings. The Eagles wrapped up the trip with a tough 8-9 loss in the final game.
Kirkwood now turns its attention to the ICCAC season opener, hosting NIACC for a doubleheader on Tuesday, March 18th, starting at 1 PM.
