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Western Illinois University Athletics

Chris Tschida
4
North Dakota State NDSU 10-8, 1-2 Summit
9
Winner Western Illinois WIU 4-14, 2-1 Summit
North Dakota State NDSU
10-8, 1-2 Summit
4
Final
9
Western Illinois WIU
4-14, 2-1 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 4 0 0 0 0 0 4 5 4
Western Illinois WIU 0 0 2 4 0 3 0 0 X 9 15 3

W: Digrugilliers, Ricky (1-0) L: Luke Lind (3-1)

Game Recap: Baseball | | WIU Athletic Communications

Leathernecks Take Series With 9-4 Win on Sunday

Conner Currier and Chris Tschida have three hits apiece as the bullpen blanks NDSU

MACOMB, Ill. – Conner Currier and Chris Tschida recorded three hits apiece and the Western Illinois bullpen blanked North Dakota State over the final five innings in a 9-4 win Sunday afternoon (March 20). The win gives Western its first series victory of the season.
 
In the third inning, Steve McShane drew a leadoff walk and eventually stole two bases to get to third. Roman Visintine hit his first double of the year to score McShane. Colton Pogue added a RBI single for a 2-0 lead.
 
NDSU (10-8 overall, 1-2 Summit League) took the lead in its half of the fourth using an error to help score four runs. Juan Gamez hit a RBI single, Drew Fearing walked with the bases loaded and Brayden Resch delivered a two-run single. Western responded in its half of the inning to take the lead for good.
 
Nick Schrader walked with one out. Cord Church singled and McShane reached thanks to an error trying to start a double play, allowing Schrader to score. Church stole third base, and Gamez's throw went into left field to tie the game. Tschida added a RBI single as did Currier to give Western a 6-4 lead.
 
In the sixth, Aaron Michel gave up a leadoff single and then Alec Abercrombie reached on an error to put runners on the corners with no one out. Tschida caught a liner and was able to turn a double play. Then the junior left-hander shut the door on the Bison with a flyball for the third out.
 
Tschida started a three-run rally in the sixth on a leadoff single. Mark Garton doubled to put a pair of runners in scoring position. Currier lined his second two-run triple of the series. Adam McGinnis followed with a RBI single for a 9-4 lead.
 
Michel hit a batter with two outs in the seventh, but picked him off first base to end the inning. Freshman Jimmy Perkins retired all six batters he faced in order, including a season-high three strikeouts, to end the game.
 
"That's as good as we've played on a Sunday in my four years. I could tell even when we pulled the tarp this morning the guys were in a good place mentally. Batting practice there was a lot of hop, infield and outfield had a lot of hop, that's because our older guys have been around it and they did a very good job making sure everyone was ready to go," said head coach Ryan Brownlee. "Our bullpen has been like that for most of the year where they've come in a thrown strikes. That's all you need your bullpen to do. We didn't capitalize early but our guys stayed with it and our dugout was tremendous again. We focused on the right things."
 
Currier began Saturday's game in a 0-for-12 slump, but bounced back in a big way. The junior ended the last two days 7-for-8 with two triples, a double and a total of seven runs driven in during the pair of Leatherneck victories.
 
Ricky Digrugilliers earned the win in relief, improving to 1-0, by getting the final out of the fourth inning. Michel pitched three scoreless innings of relief, allowing one hit and striking out one. Starter Ian Koch allowed just one earned run (four runs total) in 3.2 innings on three hits. The freshman walked five and struck out three. Western's bullpen did not issue a walk over the final 5.1 innings.
 
"It starts on the mound," said Brownlee. "That's as good as Aaron's thrown this year. We're going to need Aaron to be Aaron from three years ago in order to do what we need to do."
 
Two days after leaving 17 runners on base in a 3-1 loss, and scoring that run on a bases loaded hit by pitch, Western made great improvements the last two games with the timely hits. Western finished the Summit League opening series with 26 hits, had five innings of multiple runs scored, and batted over .400 as a team with two outs.
 
Six Leathernecks (4-14, 2-1) accounted for a multi-hit game on Sunday as Western out-hit NDSU 15-5. Visintine recorded his third straight two-hit game. Pogue and Garton had two hits apiece, and Church set a career-high with his two hits.
 
Luke Lind (3-1) suffered the loss, getting charged for four runs (one earned) on three hits in two-thirds of an inning in the fourth. Chris Choles allowed three runs on five hits in 1.2 innings. Starter Reed Pfannenstein was charged for two runs on four hits in three innings. Mason Pierzchalski and Gamez had two hits apiece for NDSU.
 
The Leathernecks continue their seven-game homestand this Friday (March 25) at 3 p.m., playing host to South Dakota State.
 
 
 
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