MACOMB, Ill. - A tough weekend for the Leathernecks' baseball program continued on Sunday afternoon as the Purple & Gold failed to hold onto a 9-1 lead and eventually fell by a score of 14-10. The two teams combined for 29 hits on the day.
Alexander Zarate drew the start for Western and continued his progression into a solid pitcher as he went 5.2 innings while striking out four and allowing 1 earned run in the no decision.
A solo lead off home run from Jesse Sawyer in the third inning got the scoring started.
Western Illinois was able to answer immediately with five runs in the bottom of the frame. Ryan Cowhey and Chris Giglio sandwiched singles around a Danny Marcuzzo hit by pitch to load the bases. Dan Dispensa singled through the right side to plate two. Matt Igara grounded into a double play but another run was able to cross on the play. Tom Lilja crushed a two-run shot into the trees in left field to put the Purple Army up 5-1 after three innings.
It was the same story in the fourth inning for the Leathernecks as the home team was able to put three more on the board. Bryan Jordan started the inning with a walk and advanced to second on passed ball. Danny Marcuzzo kept his solid weekend going with an RBI-single to left field. Dispensa reached on a fielder's choice before Igara sent one though the left side to plate for two more runs.
Lilja hit his second big fly of the game and third of the weekend over those same trees in left field to extended the Leatherneck lead to 9-1.
A fielding error allowed the Jacks' to begin its rally in the sixth inning. SDSU scored five runs on five hits in the inning to firmly entrench themselves back in the game and now trailed 9-6.
A seventh inning sacrifice fly from Eric Cain cut the deficit to two at 9-7.
The late game blitz continued as the Jacks' hung up another five spot in the eighth inning. The inning was powered by two two-RBI singles from Cain and Phil Paquette to bring the total to 11 unanswered runs. SDSU now led 12-19.
Cowhey took a bite out out if a Marcus Heemstra (1-0) pitch and deposited it over the left field wall to bring the score to 12-10.
However, the visitors scored for the fourth consecutive inning as they plated two more. Back-to-back hit by pitches from Philip Tolman (0-2) helped the SDSU cause.
Lilja started the ninth inning with single, his third hit of the day. down the right field line. However, the next three hitters went down in order to end the game.
Zarate followed up his excellent start at Eastern Illinois with a solid outing on Sunday as he went 5.2 innings allowing just 1 earned run. Tolman went 2.0 innings allowing five earned runs in the losing effort. Chris Fuchs only went 0.1 of an inning and gave up three earned runs. Travis Pedersen was nails in his appearance as he came into the game with the bases loaded and no outs. Pedersen struck out Zach Briggs, got Paquette to line out and induced an inning-ending fly out from Cain.
Three Leathernecks recorded three-hit games on the day. Dispensa went 3-for-5 with two RBI. Lilja knocked in three runs with his 3-for-4 performance. Giglio added three hits as well. Igara drove in two runs on the afternoon.
Kolton Emery was roughed up in his 4.0 innings of work as he allowed eight earned runs.Heemstra picked up the victory as he went 3.1 innings before Austin Busse collected his first save of the season as he went 1.2 innings and only allowed one hit.
Sawyer drove in four RBI with his 3-for-5 performance to pace the SDSU attack.
A midweek clash with Bradley to finish their season series is on the docket before playing host to Oral Roberts for four beginning on Friday at 3:30 p.m.
