LITTLE ROCK, Ark. – Western Illinois fell to Arkansas-Little Rock in the second game of a two-game series by a 20-9 score, Wednesday, March 24 to split the series at a game each.
The Fighting Leathernecks (5-12) lost for the ninth time in their last ten games while the Trojans (14-9) picked up their fourth win in their past ten games.
Arkansas-Little Rock struck first with five runs in the bottom of the first inning, picking up the first run of the game when Casey McCollum stole home. The Trojans would extend the lead to five when Brock Feldmann doubled in two runs later in the inning.
Western Illinois would put up two runs in the third when John Koszulinski led off the inning with a solo homer, his second of the season. Jared Depenbrock would double in the next at-bat and score on an RBI single by Dan Dispensa later in the inning.
The Trojans would post five more runs in the third on four hits and one error. They would add two runs in the fourth, extending the lead to 12-2. The teams would trade runs in the fifth and seventh innings to make the score 14-4.
The Leathernecks came within six by scoring four runs in the eighth inning on the strength of a Tom Lilja two-run double to right-center to make the score 14-8, but the Trojans would post six runs in the bottom of the inning to extend the lead to 20-8.
Western would score one final time on a Cole Waddell solo homer, his second of the season, in the top of the the ninth to make the final 20-9.
Chris Fuchs (0-1) took the loss in his first start, allowing five runs in one inning of work. He allowed two hits and walked four. Scott Keffer (1-0) picked up the win, allowing three runs on five hits in six innings. He walked four and struck out four.
The Trojans out hit Western 14 to 11. Arkansas Little-Rock drew 12 walks in the game to Western's six and both teams recorded four strikeouts.
Lilja finished the game 3-for-5 with four RBI and Koszulinski was 2-for-3 with two runs scored and two RBI. Six other Leatherneck batters picked up a hit.
Western will head to Iowa for a three-game set against the Hawkeyes beginning this Friday at 6:30 p.m. Every pitch can be heard via Rocky Vision beginning ten minutes before first pitch.
