MACOMB, Ill. - Western Illinois pounded out 18 hits and struck for 15 runs in the second game of a doubleheader as it split a twin bill with North Dakota State on Saturday, April 16 at Mary Ellen McKee Stadium.
The Fighting Leathernecks (13-20, 9-8) dropped the first game to the Bison (19-22, 9-5) by a score of 4-1 before bouncing back with a dominant offensive effort in game two.
The two teams will square off tomorrow in the rubber match of the series beginning at noon. Western Illinois has two more Summit League series remaining this season.
Game One: NDSU 4, Western Illinois 1
Whitney Johnson struck out eight Leathernecks and allowed just one run on five hits to help lead North Dakota State to a 4-1 victory in the first game of Saturday's twin bill.
The Bison got on the board first when Katie Tamayo's infield single with two outs brought in Nicole Rivera from third in the top of the third inning.
North Dakota State would plate two more runs in the sixth on Jenina Ortega's two-out, two-run homer to center and would tack on another run in the seventh when Rivera scored on a fielding error.
The Leathernecks had a chance to take the lead in the fourth inning when they loaded the bases with two outs, but Johnson was able to strike out Ashley Campbell to end the inning.
Western's lone run came in the seventh when Campbell scored on a Jamie Goss sacrifice fly to left. The Leathernecks looked to be in a position to tie the game with the bases loaded but Erin Schlotfeldt was forced out at second base to end the game.
Johnson (12-8) earned the complete-game victory by allowing just one unearned run in 7.0 innings. She issued just four walks in the contest.
Hailey Bickford (5-6) suffered the loss despite allowing just two earned runs in 7.0 innings. She walked five and struck out seven while scattering seven hits.
Schlotfeldt was the only Leatherneck to record multiple hits as she finished 2-for-3 in the contest. Rivera led the Bison with a 3-for-3 effort and scored two runs.
The Leathernecks finished with five hits to North Dakota State's seven and committed four errors while the Bison committed three. Western Illinois stranded 10 runners on base while NDSU stranded eight.
Game Two: Western Illinois 15, NDSU 3
Megan Kelly and Erin Schlotfeldt each drove in four runs as Western Illinois jumped out to 4-0 first-inning lead and never looked back in a dominant game two performance.
Beth Golitko led off the bottom of the first with a triple and came around to score on a Goss double to left two batters later. Schlotfeldt would single in the next at bat before Kelly cleared the bases with a three-run homer to left, her fifth home run of the season.
North Dakota State would answer with a run in the top of the second to make it 4-1, but the Leathernecks would answer back with six runs in the bottom of the inning.
Hannah Frenell led things off with a solo shot to dead center, the first of her career, before Golitko's infield single gave Western another base runner with no outs.
Golitko would come around to score on Goss' one-out, RBI single to make it 6-1. Kelly's double down the left field line brought Goss around from second before Kelsey Michelini hit a three-run blast to right to put the Leathernecks up 10-1 after two innings.
Western Illinois would strike for three more runs in the third on a two-run double by Schlotfeldt and an RBI single off the bat of Anna Copeland to extend the lead to 13-1.
Schlotfeldt would knock in two more runs with a double in the fourth to give the Leathernecks a 15-1 lead. North Dakota State was able to plate two runs in the bottom of the fifth, but Michelini closed things out for her fourth win of the season.
Michelini (4-9) allowed three runs (one earned) on six hits in 5.0 innings of work. She struck out one and issued just one walk in the victory.
Randi Parks (5-9) took the loss after allowing nine runs on 11 hits in just 2.0 innings while walking four and striking out two. Katie Tamayo gave up six runs on seven hits in 2.0 innings in relief.
Kelly and Schlotfeldt each finished with four RBI while Golitko and Goss scored three runs. Western Illinois saw eight of its nine starters score at least one run and each finish with at least one hit.
The Leathernecks pounded out 18 hits to NDSU's six and committed two errors while the Bison committed one. Western Illinois left seven runners on base while North Dakota State stranded four.
