Sunday was a celebration. It was Senior Day for 10 Blackburn Baseball players as they played in their last collegiate games. Spalding was in Carlinville to finish up a three game series with a doubleheader Sunday afternoon.

In game one, Blackburn lost 6-2 to the Golden Eagles. The difference in the game was a four run third inning for Spalding. In the bottom of the fifth inning, Aaron Moody (Navarino, Wisc.) set the school record for most triples in a season with his sixth of the year. He came around to score later in the inning and scored both runs for Blackburn in game one and was also the only Beaver to record multiple hits.

Senior Vinnie Birk (Swansea, Ill.) pitched all seven innings in game one and gave up five earned runs and nine hits while walking only one batter. He struck out seven Spalding hitters.

In between games, a ceremony celebrated the careers of nine seniors and a junior playing in their last game. 

Game two featured a lineup with seven seniors including Drew Williams (Calhoun, Ill.) who made his first collegiate start. Williams finished the game 1-2 with a walk and a run scored. Senior Luis Velez (Addison, Ill.) got his first hit of the season in the bottom half of the seventh.

This time it was Blackburn with the big inning. The Beavers put up a five spot in the seventh inning including a clutch 2-out double from shortstop Brock Hill (Woodlwan, Ill.).

Senior Jon Lowry (Peoria Heights, Ill.) was on the hill for game two. He threw seven innings and surrendered nine hits and four runs while striking out nine and walking zero. Senior Jacob Baalman (Hardin, Ill.), usually a starter, pitched a scoreless eighth inning for his first career hold. Freshman Tyler Durand (Mt. Zion, Ill.) slammed the door in the ninth for the save.

The Beavers finished the season with a 13-27 record and 5-17 in conference play. They started to get hot at the wrong time, winning three of their last four games and five of their last eight including the two against a good Spalding team. Blackburn won eight games at home this year. 

Blackburn says goodbye to the seniors: Vinnie Birk, Drew Williams, Doug Matas (Youngstown, Ohio), Ben Beckwith (Potosi, Mo.), Luis Velez, Marcus Kelly (Astoria, Ill.), Jon Lowry, Jose Osorio (Cagua, Puerto Rico) and Jacob Baalman as well as junior Tim Hillis (Williamsville, Mo.).