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Western Illinois University Athletics

MBA_NDSU1_FP
WIU Visual Productions Center
0
North Dakota State NDSU 5-15, 1-6 Summit
1
Winner Western Illinois WIU 6-14, 3-4 Summit
North Dakota State NDSU
5-15, 1-6 Summit
0
Final
1
Western Illinois WIU
6-14, 3-4 Summit
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E
North Dakota State NDSU 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 4 0
Western Illinois WIU 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 X 1 6 2

W: Mortillaro, Joe (2-1) L: David Ernst (1-6) S: Owings, Tyler (2)

Game Recap: Baseball | | WIU Athletic Communications

Leathernecks Shut Out Bison in Series Opener

Joe Mortillaro and Tyler Owings combined for a four-hit shutout in Friday's 1-0 win.

MACOMB, Ill. - Western Illinois baseball battled North Dakota State to a 1-0 victory in the series opener on Friday (March 27) in Macomb. 

The Leathernecks took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first and never looked back. Joe Mortillaro (2-1) pitched seven innings for the win and Tyler Owings came on in the eighth to earn his second save of the season, eighth of his career. Friday's win improves WIU to 3-4 in Summit League play and 6-14 overall. The loss drops NDSU to 5-15 and 1-6 in the league.

"Our games with NDSU are always tight. This is just what you expect now," said head coach Ryan Brownlee following the win. "They can pitch and they play good defense. We know every game is going to be nip and tuck. Tomorrow and Sunday will be the same. We just have to focus on us and play good baseball."

The pitching battle started in the top of the first inning. Mortillaro and the WIU defense retired the first three NDSU batters. Roman Visintine singled to lead off the bottom half. A sacrifice bunt from Payton Jeffers and a one-out single from Jake Moore moved Visintine over to third. Moore stole second base before Chris Tschida put a ground ball in play to score Visintine. 

With a one-run lead, Mortillaro came on in the top of the second inning and immediately worked out of a jam with two outs and a runner on third. The Middle Village, N.Y. native proceeded to take over the game. Behind the pitching of Mortillaro, Western's defense allowed just three base runners over the next four innings.

"Joe has been this way all year," said coach Brownlee of Mortillaro's start. "He's had a quality start almost everytime he goes out and he gives us a chance to win. He had some tough innings too. I give Joe a lot of credit because he battled through it. In baseball you're going to face a lot of adversity and he hung in there. That's the sign of a good Friday starter."

After striking out two Bison in the seventh inning, Mortillaro faced a two-out bases-loaded jam. NDSU would send a pinch hitter to the plate, but to no avail. A ground ball to Tschida at shortstop, tossed to Colton Pogue at second, gave Western a much-needed out and kept the score at 1-0.

Owings entered the game in the top of the eighth and maintained his pristine 0.00 ERA. Junior catcher Mark Garton nabbed one Bison on the base paths to aid the Leatherneck cause.

North Dakota State starter David Ernst matched Mortillaro inning-for-inning, and then some, going the full eight innings in his sixth loss of the season.

For Western, Visintine and Garton tallied two hits each while Moore and Tschida rounded out the six-hit effort. A walk for Jeffers keeps the junior's streak of reaching base alive, and Moore's stolen base marks his first of the season and sixth in his career.

Mortillaro's outing drops his ERA to a rotation-leading 2.36, and Owings' save moves the senior within one of tying Brian Loconsole's record of nine career-saves at Western.

The series continues tomorrow (March 28) at Alfred D. Boyer Stadium. First pitch will be at noon with live audio, video, and scoring available at GoLeathernecks.com/watch. 
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