DECATUR, Ga. - Thanks to a strong pitching performance from Rich Mascheri and a
balanced offensive attack, Western Illinois took game one of a doubleheader at
Georgia State on Friday afternoon (Feb. 17) and came away with a split on
Opening Day of the 2012 season.
Western Illinois 7 at Georgia State 5
Game #1
February 17 - Noon
Mascheri scattered
four singles through seven shutout innings, and picked up a RBI to help his
cause, as the Leathernecks held off a late charge to defeat the Panthers. It marked
the first time Western won its season-opener since a 16-2 win at Alabama State
in 2007.
Mascheri, the senior
left-hander who redshirted in 2011, beat out a double play in the first and
plated a run for an early 1-0 lead. Western plated another run in the second,
and wound up scoring in six of the nine innings.
Dan Dispensa delivered
a two-out RBI single in the second, and in the fourth inning Austin Cowen lined
a two-out, 2-run single extending the lead to 4-0. Dispensa added a RBI single
in the sixth and eighth inning as well. Ryan Cowhey added a run-scoring
single in the seventh.
Western finished
with 13 hits in the game, all singles, out-hitting the Panthers 13-8. Mascheri
fanned a career-high five batters while allowing four walks in his career-high
seven innings of work.
The Panthers scored
twice in the eighth, then loaded the bases with no one out in the ninth.
Freshman Seth Fuller entered the game in the ninth and recorded a
strikeout versus the first batter he faced. Brandon Williams drew a run-scoring
walk and Joey Wood followed by lining a RBI single.
However, on the play
Williams overran second and was tagged for the second out putting runners on
the corners. Right fielder Matt Igara chased down a Jonathan Kolowich
foul ball near the fence for the final out of the game.
Dispensa and Cowen had
three hits apiece, driving in three and two runs, respectively. Dispensa's
three RBI matched a career-high. Freshman Jameson Henning had three hits
in his debut and scored three times.
Fuller struck out
one in his inning of work to earn the save.
Jake Dyer (0-1) was
tagged for the loss after allowing four runs on six hits in four innings. He
struck out six. Kody Adams and Drew Shields each had two hits.
Western Illinois 0 at Georgia State 7
Game #2
February 17 - 3 p.m.
With possible
inclement weather in the forecast for Saturday, the teams decided to move the
doubleheader from Saturday up a day.
Ben Marshall kept
Western in check, allowing just one hit in the 7-inning complete game win.
The senior
right-hander, making his first start after appearing out of the bullpen last
year, only allowed a two-out double by Dispensa in the fourth inning.
The Panthers scored
four runs in the second inning off starter Alexander Zarate. Dustin
Hunter got the final out of the second, then went another three innings
allowing three runs (two earned) on two hits. The senior fanned a career-high
six batters. Freshman Mason Pingel worked a 1-2-3 sixth inning in his
debut.
Georgia State got
four consecutive base hits in the second to break the game open. After a single
run in the third, the Panthers got two more in the fifth thanks to consecutive
hit batters, a single and balk.
Kolowich finished
the nightcap with two doubles and scored twice as the Panthers held a 7-1 edge
in hits.
Zarate (0-1) was
charged with four runs on five hits in 1.2 innings. He walked one and struck
out one.
Marshall, who
allowed four runs in just over an inning of work last year against the Leathernecks,
fanned six and walked two.
The four-game series
continues on Saturday (Feb. 18), first pitch moved up to a 10 a.m. central
start.
