MACOMB, Ill. - Bradley
(12-11-1) collected 19 hits, including three long home runs, to win the second
game of the series, 15-9, over Western Illinois (8-13) Saturday (March 31) at
Alfred D. Boyer Stadium.
Bradley starter Justin Ziegler (2-2) quieted the Western Illinois
bats as he allowed one run on five hits over six innings. He struck out three
Fighting Leathernecks and walked none.
Western Illinois starter Dustin Hunter (2-1) allowed four runs
(three earned) on nine hits over 4 1/3 innings. He struck out eight and walked
three Braves.
Dan Dispensa, Steve Kedroski and Matt Igara (3-for-4) all
drove in two runs for the Fighting Leathernecks. Manny Reyes (2-for-3), Ryan Cowhey, Danny Marcuzzo and Austin Cowen scored runs. Cowhey has reached base in
16 straight games while Igara and Tom Lilja (1-for-5) are riding six-game
hitting streaks.
A two-out rally led to Bradley's first run in the third
inning. Max Murphy reached on a hit by pitch and stole second before Bob Schuch
reached on Cowen's error at shortstop. Murphy scored on Derek Sprout 's single
to left field to give Bradley a one-run lead.
Bradley extended its lead to 3-0 in the fourth inning with
three hits. Curtiss Bunch led off with a single and Chris Godinez doubled him
to third base. After Mike Tauchman's RBI groundout, Jason Leblebijian doubled
to right center to score Godinez.
Derek Sprout's long home run over the left field fence gave
Bradley a 4-0 lead in the fifth inning. Chris Macek relieved Hunter with one
out and two runners on and escaped a bases loaded jam to keep the deficit at
four runs.
Western Illinois used three pitchers in Bradley's seven-run
sixth inning. Macek hit a batter and walked two before Mason Pingel took over
on the mound. Pingel allowed three runs on four hits, including Godinez'
three-run home run off the scoreboard. Tyler Willman struck out Murphy looking
to end the long inning.
Western scored its first run in the sixth inning. With two
outs, a pitch hit both Cowen and Igara before Kedroski poked a single through
the right side of the infield for his second RBI of the season.
After Willman held the Braves scoreless, Western pushed across
four runs in the seventh inning. Marcuzzo walked, Reyes singled and Cowhey
walked before Dispensa delivered a 2-RBI single through the right side. Cowen
walked and Igara singled to left field to score Cowhey. Kedroski drove in his
second run of the game on a groundout to cap the scoring.
Bradley scored four more runs off Willman in the eighth
inning, highlighted by Schuch's two-out, three-run home run. Leading off the
bottom of the eighth, freshman Brent Turner singled to right field for his
first collegiate hit.
Dispensa walked to lead off the ninth inning and scored on
Igara's one-out single through the left side. Igara scored on Turner's
groundout to first base and Kedroski trotted home on a wild pitch. Lilja scored
Western's final run on a balk.
The Leathernecks and Braves conclude the series Sunday with
a 1 p.m. first pitch. Nick Smith (3-1, 3.55 ERA) will square off against John
Nasshan (2-2, 6.94 ERA).
#WIUAthletics
