IOWA CITY, Iowa – The Western Illinois baseball team lost the rubber match of a three-game series at Iowa by an 11-2 score, Sunday, March 28.
The Fighting Leathernecks (5-15) dropped their fourth straight game and third in a row to the Hawkeyes (8-12), who picked up their fourth straight win in the series sweep.
Iowa took an early 1-0 lead on Mike McQuillan's RBI single up the middle in the bottom of the second inning, but the Leathernecks would respond with a Tom Lilja two-out RBI single in the top of the third.
Lilja's hit came after Anthony Kaskadden reached first on a catcher's interference call and stole two bases to get in to scoring position.
The Hawkeyes would take back the lead with a two run fourth and extended the lead to 8-1 with four runs in the fifth and one run in the sixth.
Western would pull within six after Cole Waddell tripled to start off the seventh inning and came around to score on Jared Depenbrock's sacrifice fly to right field to make the score 8-2.
Iowa would tack on three more runs with four consecutive two-out hits in the bottom of the inning to push the lead to 11-2.
Beau Below (0-1) took the loss in his first collegiate start, allowing five runs (four earned) on six hits and a walk in 4.1 innings. Phil Schreiber (2-2) picked up the win, allowing just two runs (one earned) on five his in 7.0 innings of work. He struck out four and walked none.
Waddel and Bryan Jordan each went 2-for-4 as the Leathernecks picked up six hits in the game. Lilja and Dan Dispensa each picked up a hit as well.
Iowa pounded out 14 hits in the contest including four players with two hits each. Nine Hawkeyes drove in at least one run and Kurtis Muller and Kurt Lee each stole two bases.
Chris Macek allowed six runs (four earned) on eight hits in 2.1 innings of relief work. He walked three and struck out one.
Jason Smith tossed 1.1 innings of scoreless relief, allowing no hits and striking out one in his third appearance of the season.
Western Illinois will host Coe College in the 2010 home opener at Boyer Stadium at 3:30, Wednesday, March 31. The Leatherneck Sports Network broadcast can be heard on Rocky Vision beginning ten minutes before the the first pitch.
