MACOMB, Ill. – Jason Summers pounded out a career-high six RBI and eight Leatherneck batters recorded multiple hits as Western Illinois defeated Coe College, 18-3, in the 2010 home-opener Wednesday afternoon (March 31) at Boyer Stadium.
The Fighting Leathernecks (6-15) pounded out 20 hits and 16 RBI against the Kohawks (9-6), snapping a four-game losing streak and extending their lead in the all-time series against Coe to 7-1.
"It was really good for us to pick up this win," Western Illinois head coach Mike Villano said. "We needed to come out strong in the home-opener after some tough losses at Iowa and we got a great effort from everyone today."
Coe took the lead with a run in the first inning on a Ryan Schisler RBI double to center field that plated Nick Stein to give the Kohawks a 1-0 lead.
Western would storm back with four runs in the bottom of the first, picking up their first run on Bryan Jordan's RBI single to left field to tie the game at 1-1. Cole Waddell would single in two runs and score on a wild pitch.
The Leathernecks would add another run on in the second on Summers' RBI double to right center and would blow the game open with eight runs in fourth inning.
Chris Giglio led off the fourth with a ground-rule double before Tom Lilja and Dan Dispensa would reach on a hit by pitch and a walk to load the bases with one out. Summers cleared the bases with a three-run double to center field to make the score 8-1.
Jordan would hit a two-run homer to left field, his team-leading fourth of the season, to push the lead to 9-1. Waddell would single later in the inning and score on Jared Depenbrock's RBI single to center field to make it 11-1.
John Koszulinski and Depenbrock would both come home on Anthony Kaskadden's two-run single to center to make the score 13-1.
Western Illinois would tack on another run in fifth and three more in the sixth, including a solo-homer by Summers.
The Kohawks scored two runs in the top of the seventh to cut the lead to 17-3 but the Leathernecks would score on last time on a Summers RBI ground out in the eighth for the final margin.
"Overall I was really pleased with our team," Villano said. "I told our guys that no matter who we play we just need to use every chance we have to get better and I think we did that today."
The win was the largest margin of victory for Western this season. Summers led all Western batters, finishing the day 3-for-4 with six RBI, including the home run. Koszulinski and Giglio also finished with three hits and five other Leathernecks had two hits each, including a 2-for-4 performance from Jordan, who knocked in three runs.
Randon Lingle (2-4) picked up the win, tossing six innings in relief while allowing two runs on four hits. He walked four and struck out five. Leatherneck righty Jason Smith, making his first career start, allowed one run on two hits in one inning of work and Chris Fuchs tossed two scoreless innings to close out the game.
"Randon has a chance to beat anyone if he just continues to throw downhill and attack guys," Villano said. "Jason Smith is a young kid with a very good arm and we just need to get him out there a little more. I thought Chris (Fuchs) pitched well also, as long as he can throw strikes he can really overpower guys."
The Leathernecks return to action at home Thursday (April 1) against Culver-Stockton at 3:30 p.m. The game can be heard live on Rocky Vision beginning ten minutes before the first pitch.
