MACOMB, Ill. - Western Illinois baseball debuted the 2011 edition the Leathernecks for the home fans on Sunday afternoon at Alfred D. Boyer Stadium. The Iowa Hawkeyes took the third game of the weekend 6-2.
The visiting Hawkeyes got on the board first with two runs on two hits in the top of the first inning. Iowa added two more in the fourth inning powered by a two-RBI single from Kurt Lee with two outs.
The home team awoke in the bottom of the fourth with a John Koszulinski triple down the right field line. Tom Lilja was able to bring Koszulinski home with a sacrifice fly to left field.
However, the Hawkeyes answered with two more in each of the next two innings.
Western Illinois attempted to stage a rally in the seventh. Dan Dispensa single on the infield and was followed by a Ryan Cowhey single on a bunt. Another infield single from Chris Giglio loaded the bases for Matt Igara. The Leatherneck center fielder grounded into a fielder's choice to drive in a run to bring the deficit to four. That would be all the Leathernecks would get as Bryan Jordan was retired to end the inning.
Western Illinois went quietly in the eighth and ninth innings and Iowa secured the win to improve to 9-11. The Leathernecks drop to 4-17 after the loss.
Philip Tolman (0-1) got the start and went 4.0 innings while allowing three hits and four earned runs. Alexander Zarate appeared in relief of Tolman and only went 0.1 of an inning and allowed two unearned runs. Chris Fuchs was solid in 4.2 innings of work and did not allow a run.
Dispensa and Cowhey both collected two hits on the afternoon. Igara and Lilja drove in a run each for the Leathernecks.
Kurt Lee paced the Hawkeye attack with a 2-for-4 performance while driving in two runs.
Matt Dermody (1-3) went 7.0 innings and allowed two earned runs and struck out six opponents. Ben Bergman, Phil Keppler and Kevin Lee combined for the final two innings and only allowed two hits between the three of them.
Western Illinois will be back in action on Tuesday with Illinois College at 3:30 p.m. The game was recently added to the schedule to make up for the Northern Illinois game that was lost earlier this season due to the weather conditions in St. Louis, Mo.
Be sure to tune in the radio broadcast on Rocky Vision beginning at 3:15 p.m.
