BOWLING GREEN, Ky. - Western
Illinois baseball (4-7) was held in check by a slew of Western Kentucky (5-8)
pitchers and the Hilltoppers took game one with an assist to the Leatherneck
defense. Seven errors powered WKU to a series-opening win.
Rich Mascheri (1-3) was again the tough-luck loser after
going six innings and allowing just one earned runs and collecting four
strikeouts.
Matt Igara led off the game with a line-drive home run to
left field to start the game of Hilltopper starter Tanner Perkins to put
Western up 1-0.
Western Kentucky was able to answer immediately with an RBI
single to right from Scott Wilcox after a throwing error allowed a leadoff walk
to score. Perkins settled in for the Hilltoppers as he retied seven straight
including four consecutive strikeouts after allowing the home run.
Three Leatherneck errors and a wild pitch had WKU
threatening in the bottom of the third inning. The Hilltoppers took the lead,
2-1, with a sacrifice fly to right from Ivan Hartle. However, Mascheri was able
to limit the damage to just a run and escape the nearly disastrous inning.
Austin Clay (2-2) replaced Perkins after he left with an
apparent injury in the third inning and held the Leathernecks hitless over three
innings.
Ryan Cowhey collected the Leathernecks' first hit since that
Igara home run in the sixth inning with a laser into center field for a single.
Clay was able to keep the Purple & Gold from gaining any momentum as he set
down Dan Dispensa and Vince Howard.
The pitching continued to take center stage as Dan Russell
replaced Mascheri and induced an inning-ending double play. Ross Hammonds
continued the dual with two scoreless innings for the Hilltoppers.
An intentional walk from Russell to David Simmons loaded the
bases for the top of the WKU order. Jared Andreoli drew a walk to give WKU a
3-1 advantage. Adam Lavelle came to the
plate to pinch-hit and came through with a two-run single extending the
Toppers' lead to 5-1. A throwing error into center paired with Dispensa's
inability to handle the errant throw gave WKU a 7-1 advantage on the two
errors.
The Leathernecks did get the tying run to the on-deck circle
in the top of the ninth after Steve Kedroski drove in Cowhey to give the Purple
& Gold its second run of the night. However, Colton Satterlee was able to
work out of the inning and secure the victory.
Cowhey finished with two hits including a double to go with
Igara's RBI while Kedroski picked up his first career RBI.
Clay picked up the win after going 3.2 innings and allowed no runs while striking out three Leathernecks. The four WKU hurlers combined for 10 punch outs on the night.
The Leathernecks and Hilltoppers will play game two on
Saturday at 3 p.m. as Dustin Hunter (1-1) will go against Justin Hageman (0-2).
#WIUAthletics
