MACOMB, Ill. - Fighting Leatherneck softball used a
three-run, walk-off double off the bat of Lia Romeo with bases juiced to propel
them to the 5-4 final victory over Bradley on Wednesday (March 28). The win
brings Western Illinois to a 17-14 overall mark.
The Western Illinois offense started hot putting up two runs
in the bottom of the first. Leadoff hitter Sammy Marshall doubled to lead off
the frame and was plated by a double off the bat of KC Dunne, who came around to
score on an Ashley Campbell two-out single to left.
After both teams posted zeros in the second, Bradley strung
together a rally in the top of the third evening the score 2-2 on three hits
and two walks.
A scoreless fourth, fifth and sixth innings kept the game
knotted heading into the seventh. The Braves went on a tear in the top of the
inning stringing together four consecutive singles resulting in two runs
scored. The Leathernecks were able to get out of the jam with a Romeo to
Marshall pick off at third and a groundout to pitcher Hailey Bickford.
With three outs to work with in the bottom of the seventh,
Western Illinois started down the comeback trail. Marshall reached on an error,
Dunne singled to right and Jamie Goss was hit by a pitch filling the bases with
one-out for Romeo. She sent the first pitch of her at bat to deep left center,
good for a double and three runs batted in, to solidify the 5-4 victory in
walk-off fashion.
Hailey Bickford picked up the win in the circle for her 4.1
innings of work bringing her record to 6-7 on the season. She scattered five
hits and tallied two strikeouts, one swinging and one looking. Bradley's
Mackenzie Camp falls to 4-7 on the year after the loss.
Romeo picked up a game-high three RBI for her one-for-two
performance at the plate, while Dunne and Campbell each picked up one RBI going
two-for-four and one-for-three, respectively.
Marshall exteneded her hitting streak to a team-high 15 games in the win, while Goss extended her reached bases streak to 14.
The Leathernecks resume Summit League play this Friday and
Saturday (March 30-31) against Oakland in Rochester, Mich. Western Illinois is
currently 7-2 in league play, while Oakland is 1-8.
#WIUAthletics
