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Western Illinois University Athletics

MBA_SDSU1_Road_FP
WIU Visual Productions Center
9
Winner Western Illinois WIU 15-26, 8-14 Summit
4
South Dakota State SDSU 26-18, 13-9 Summit
Winner
Western Illinois WIU
15-26, 8-14 Summit
9
Final
4
South Dakota State SDSU
26-18, 13-9 Summit
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 R H E
Western Illinois WIU 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 6 9 21 1
South Dakota State SDSU 0 1 0 1 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 1 4 12 1

W: Owings, Tyler (1-1) L: Marcus Heemstra (0-3)

Game Recap: Baseball | | WIU Athletic Communications

Hot Bats Push Leathernecks Past Jackrabbits in Extras

Western scored six runs in the 12th inning to beat SDSU, 9-4.

BROOKINGS, S.D. - A seven-hit six-run 12th inning helped propel Western Illinois baseball past South Dakota State on Friday (May 1) in Brookings. The game lasted over four hours with both teams combining for 33 hits and over 400 pitches.

Senior catcher JJ Reimer stole the show, going 5-for-6 at the plate while scoring two runs and driving in two, including a solo home run and the game eventual game-winning RBI. Reimer's performance helped Western improve to 15-26 overall and 8-14 in The Summit League. SDSU has now lost three straight, dropping to 26-18 and 13-9.

"The guys are really taking to heart what we're trying get them to do in the dugout and their approach at the plate. We haven't had that many hits all season," said head coach Ryan Brownlee after the win. "We worked on (Tyler) Bray. He's a really good pitcher who has always done well against us and we had a lot of quality at bats. We ground him down and got his pitch count up. We got the momentum, and the guys did a good job of keeping that the whole game. Doing that has a lot to do with our guys in the dugout right now. As a coach, this is one of my top five wins. It was a big game but the guys didn't make too much of the situation, and if you want to compete in big situations you can't make too much of it."

After a scoreless first inning, Western took an early lead, grabbing two runs in the top of the second. Reimer opened the inning with a solo shot over the right field fence, and Chris Tschida followed that with a double. Adam McGinnis drove a single through the right side to bring Tschida home before SDSU could stop the bleeding.

The Jackrabbits cut the Leatherneck lead to one in the bottom of the second and another run in the bottom of four tied the game at two.

Purple and Gold starter Joe Mortillaro was forced to leave the game in the bottom of the fifth, due to some muscle tightness, but Preston Church was able to come in and work the final out.

SDSU took the lead in the bottom of the seventh, but a run for WIU in the top of the ninth would change the game. Mark Garton was brushed by a pitch to reach first base, and Erik Maki would come in to run. A pitch that went behind McGinnis, and to the backstop, would move Maki to second. A Roman Visintine single brought home Maki and tied the game.

The Jackrabbits threatened in the bottom of the ninth with a runner on second, but Tyler Owings struck out the last two batters, sending the game into extra innings.  

"We handled a ton of adversity in the game with Joe (Mortillaro) coming out when he did. He probably could have stayed in but I just wanted to be cautious with him," said coach Brownlee. "Preston (Church) did a good job getting thrown in the mix, and we really only made two bad pitches the whole day. Our staff did a good job of pitching and working around some tough situations."

Both teams would threaten in the 10th and 11th innings, but no runs would score until the top of the 12th. Brent Turner led off with a single and advanced to second on a wild pitch. Colton Pogue singled to right, and a Jake Moore walk would load the bases.

"The biggest at-bat of the 12th inning was probably Jake's (Moore) three-ball two-strike walk," said coach Brownlee. "He laid off a tough pitch that was a ball and that is a pitch, earlier in the year, we probably swing at and strike out on. That's the biggest play of that game."

With the bases loaded and nobody out, Reimer stepped in and tallied his fifth hit of the day, a single to left field that scored Turner and gave Western the lead. The Purple and Gold added insurance with four straight singles from Aden Campbell, Visintine, McGinnis, and Kendall King. 

"We hung in there in extra innings. The guys stayed loose and that was the biggest thing," said Brownlee. "Our dugout energy was good and we didn't make too much of the situation. You have to trust what you're doing out there as a player and the guys are starting to do that. Our games with South Dakota State are always nip-tuck and back and forth, and it'll probably be another one like that tomorrow."

Owings (1-1) earned his first win of the season with three innings of scoreless relief and four strikeouts. Church added over three innings of work with four strikeouts, and Jordan Pannell came on for one inning and a strikeout as well.

Turner, McGinnis, and Visintine all finished the game 3-for-6 at the plate while Moore, Tschida, and King all notched doubles. As a team, the Leathernecks collected 21 hits, the most since Western notched the same total against St. Ambrose on April 30, 2014.

Western and South Dakota State meet again in game two on Saturday (May 2) at 1 p.m. in Brookings at Erv Huether Field.
 
 
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