ELSAH, IL – The Principia baseball team capped the final series of the 2026 season taking two of three from Eureka College to earn their first conference series win since 2019. The weekend was highlighted by a Senior Day celebration on Saturday honoring Kailis Mayo, Ethan Booth, and Casey Golbiw for their many contributions to the program.

Game: Principia 5, Eureka 1

Principia opened the weekend with a statement victory on Friday night, defeating Eureka 5-1 to take control of the series.

After Eureka scored once in the top of the first, the Panthers' pitching staff locked in and was lights out the rest of the game. Koye Calzada turned in one of his strongest outings of the season, working seven innings while striking out seven to earn the win. Charlie Reiss closed out the final two innings with three strikeouts of his own to pick up his second save of the season.

Offensively, Principia broke through in the sixth inning. With the bases loaded, Skyler Stock delivered the decisive blow, launching a grand slam to left field to give the Panthers a 4-1 lead. Senior Kailis Mayo added an exclamation point in the eighth inning with a solo shot for his final career home run. Mayo finishes fourth all-time in program history with 17 career long balls.

Game 2: Eureka 8, Principia 5

Saturday's doubleheader opened with a tightly contested game that swung in Eureka's favor, as the Red Devils edged the Panthers, 8-5.

Principia struck first with a leadoff home run from Josh Dement in the first inning and remained within striking distance throughout the game. Rat Mean added a solo home run, and Principia totaled 11 hits and seven walks, however Eureka pulled away with a four-run fifth inning.

Despite the loss, the Panthers continued to show resiliency, setting the stage for a decisive response later in the day.

Game 3: Principia 9, Eureka 3

Saturday's finale began scoreless through three innings when the Panthers struck first in the bottom of the fourth. After working traffic on the bases, Drake Stilwell delivered a three-run home run deep to right centerfield, giving Principia the lead and energizing the Senior Day crowd. The Panthers then broke the game open with a six-run seventh inning, taking advantage of timely hitting and aggressive base running to put the contest out of reach.

On the mound, Cole Christensen earned the win after tossing seven innings and allowing just one run. Senior Ethan Booth finished his collegiate career by pitching the final two innings in relief, helping seal a 9-3 victory to close the season with the team's first conference series win since 2019. It was a fitting conclusion for a program on the rise and a memorable sendoff for this year's senior class.