KANSAS CITY, Mo. - Kelsey Michelini nearly threw a no-hitter as Western Illinois split a doubleheader at UMKC on Saturday, April 2 at Loyola Park.

The Fighting Leathernecks (10-16, 7-4) took game two by a 10-1 score over the Kangaroos (19-12, 6-5), who pulled out a victory in game one with a walk off double in the seventh inning.

The two teams will conclude their three-game Summit League series tomorrow at noon.

Game One -  UMKC 3, Western Illinois 2

Western Illinois fell behind early and rallied back to take a lead before UMKC plated two runs over the final three innings to take game one in walk-off fashion.

The Kangaroos got on the board on Emily Ott's two-out single to right field in the bottom of the first inning. The Leathernecks would bounce back to take the lead on Nikki Marinec's two-run blast to left field to take a 2-1 lead in the third.

UMKC was able to tied things up in the fifth when a throwing error allowed a runner to score from third. Western Illinois looked poised to take back the lead when Hailey Bickford singled with one out in the seventh, but the Leathernecks were unable to push a run across.

The Kangaroos would take advantage of the opportunity when Anna Sokolik doubled in the winning run from first base to cap off a 3-2 victory.

Bickford (4-4) suffered the loss despite allowing just two earned runs in a complete-game effort. She gave up 11 hits, walked two and struck out three in 6.0 innings.

Deanna Friese (14-6) picked up the win by allowing two runs on five hits in 7.0 innings. She struck out nine Leathernecks and issued just one walk.

Marinec led Western Illinois with two RBI in a 1-for-2 effort and was also hit by a pitch. Anna Copeland finished 2-for-3 with a run scored.

UMKC left nine runners on the base paths while the Leathernecks stranded just four. Western Illinois committed two errors in the contest while the Kangaroos were perfect in the field.

Game Two - Western Illinois 10, UMKC 1 (5 innings)

Western Illinois bounced back in a big way by pounding out 16 hits and scoring in three of the first four innings of the second game on Saturday on its way to a 10-1 victory in five innings.

Jamie Goss got the Leathernecks on the board in the first with a two-run double before she and Beth Golitko came around to score on a throwing error by the right fielder.

The Leathernecks would strike for two more runs in the bottom of the second on RBI singles by Goss and Erin Schlotfeldt. Megan Kelly's two-run single to right field capped off the inning and gave Western an early 8-0 advantage.

Western Illinois would finish its offensive outburst with two runs in the fourth on RBI singles by Golitko and Kelsey Michelini. UMKC scored its lone run when a runner came across to score on a double play in the top of the fourth.

Michelini (2-7) nearly tossed a no-hitter in the outing as the Kangaroos were held without a hit until the fifth inning. Michelini allowed just two hits and one unearned run while walking two and striking out two.

Katie Franks (2-5) suffered the loss after allowing four runs on four hits. She recorded one strikeout and recorded just two outs in the first inning before being lifted.

Colleen Biebel was a perfect 4-for-4 with three runs scored for the Leathernecks. Goss drove in three runs in a 3-for-4 effort and Marinec was 2-for-4 with two runs.

Western Illinois saw eight different players pick up a hit and five different players score a run. The Leathernecks stranded five runners on base while UMKC left three.