BOWLING GREEN, Ky. - Western Illinois baseball (5-8) scored first on Sunday for the third straight game but added to that lead and defeated Western Kentucky (6-9), 11-1, to avoid the series sweep.
Nick Smith (2-0) was stellar as he threw seven scoreless innings. He allowed six hits and walked six batters but stranded 13 Hilltoppers overall. He recorded one strikeout as he punched out Ryan Hutchinson to end the first inning.
Ryan Cowhey went 3-for-4 at the plate and collected three RBIs. He also walked, stole a base and scored a run to lead the Leatherneck offensive effort. Matt Igara (2-for-4) collected an RBI and scored two runs while Dan Dispensa (2-for-4) also scored two runs.
Sunday was the sixth multi-hit game of the season for both Dispensa and Cowhey. Meanwhile, Igara is riding an eight-game hit streak and has reached base in 11 consecutive contests.
Nine Fighting Leathernecks recorded a hit Sunday as Western Illinois picked up 13 hits off WKU pitching. Tim Bado (1-2) was saddled with the loss after allowing three runs (one earned) over five innings of work. He gave up five hits and struck out seven Leathernecks.
Both pitchers controlled the game early as Bado and Smith traded scoreless innings. The Leathernecks threatened in the third with two base runners but a hard-hit ball by Austin Cowen was snagged to end the frame. Western Kentucky put two on in the third inning but again Smith was up to task and produced a line out and a pop out to escape the inning without any damage.
Igara smacked a single up the middle to begin the fourth inning before Dispensa laid down a perfectly placed bunt for an infield single. Jameson Henning delivered a two-out RBI single back up the middle to give the Purple & Gold a 1-0 lead. An error allowed Dispensa to score before Cowhey sent another RBI single back up the middle to give the Leathernecks a 3-0 lead.
The Hilltoppers looked to get on the board in the fifth after a walk and a single had runners on the corners with one out. Smith again was able to work around the threat with a fly out to right field and a ground out to shortstop to keep WKU off the scoreboard.
Two walks and a hit-by-pitch loaded the bases for the Leathernecks in the top of the sixth. Cowhey extended the lead to 4-0 with a sacrifice fly to center. A 6-4-3 double play sent the game to the bottom of the sixth.
WKU collected a single, a walk and a hit-by-pitch to load the bases for Ivan Hartle with one out. However, Smith induced a 1-2-3 double play from Hartle to end the inning and keep his shutout intact.
WKU again loaded the bases in the seventh but were unable to push any across as Smith got pinch-hitter Jared Andreoli to ground out to shortstop. Alexander Zarate replaced Smith in the eighth inning and used a 5-3-1 double play to escape a threat and keep WKU off the scoreboard.
A Cowhey walk and a Mascheri single had the visitors looking to add to a four-run advantage in the ninth. Cowen singled to the left side to score Cowhey and stretched the Leathernecks lead to 5-0. Igara added another insurance run with a single into left field making it 6-0.
Danny Marcuzzo kept the inning rolling for the Purple & Gold with a two-run double down the right field line to give the Leathernecks an 8-0 advantage. The Hilltoppers' third error of the afternoon allowed two more to score and Cowhey followed with an RBI single to make it 11-0.
Chris Macek collected the final three outs but did allow an unearned run on a sacrifice fly. Macek did not allow a hit in the ninth inning but three walks and a passed ball set up the Hilltoppers lone run.
The Leathernecks will play three games in St. Louis, Mo. during Spring Break. The weekend begins with a 2 p.m. contest against Saint Louis on Friday. Western will play Tennessee-Martin on Saturday at 11 a.m. and finish the weekend with Air Force, also at 11 a.m.
