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Western Illinois University Athletics

Ira
1
South Dakota State SDSU 10-17
4
Winner Western Illinois WIU 8-21
South Dakota State SDSU
10-17
1
Final
4
Western Illinois WIU
8-21
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 R H E
South Dakota State SDSU 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 1 4 1
Western Illinois WIU 2 0 0 1 1 0 X 4 8 0

W: Ira, Emily (4-9) L: Bender (5-10)

9
Winner South Dakota State SDSU 11-18
8
Western Illinois WIU 8-22
Winner
South Dakota State SDSU
11-18
9
Final
8
Western Illinois WIU
8-22
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 R H E
South Dakota State SDSU 0 0 0 0 9 0 0 9 11 5
Western Illinois WIU 0 5 0 0 0 1 2 8 14 0

W: Clark (5-7) L: Stulga, Brooke (1-4)

Game Recap: Softball | | WIU Athletic Communications

Leathernecks Split on Opening Day of Summit League Play

WIU defeats South Dakota State 4-1 in game one before dropping game two 9-8

MACOMB, Ill. – The Western Illinois softball team kicked off Summit League play with a doubleheader against South Dakota State in front of a home crowd on Friday (March 25). The Leathernecks opened league play with a 4-1 win in game one, before dropping game two by a score of 9-8 to move to 8-22 overall (1-1 Summit) on the season.
 
"I think overall today we played a lot better then what we have been coming into Summit League play," said head coach Holly Van Vlymen. "I was very happy with our performance today based on previous games. We came out and hit a lot better than we had been and our defense for the most part was better too."
 
Game One: Western Illinois 4, South Dakota State 1
 
Karissa Kouchis was the first Leatherneck on base in the bottom of the first inning when she singled to the pitcher. The next at-bat, Tierney Bottino sent her home with a single to right field. After Bottino advanced to third on an error, she was brought home by Aly Compton who grounded out to the pitcher. At the end of one inning of play, the Leathernecks held a 2-0 lead.
 
Both sides were held scoreless until the bottom of the fourth inning when Holly Hoelting crushed her first home run of the season to left field. Aly Compton followed up with a home run of her own to left field in the bottom of the fifth to extend Western's lead to 4-0.
 
South Dakota State would not respond until the top of the sixth inning when Ali Herdliska hit a home run to left center to bring the game within three, 4-1. The Jackrabbits' attempt to come back fell short and the Leathernecks picked up their first league victory of the year.
 
Emily Ira (4-9) was solid from the circle, pitching a complete seven innings while only allowing four hits, one earned run, and struck out seven batters en route to her fourth win of the season. Hoelting and Bottino each led the team with two hits, while Compton drove in two runs.
 
Game Two: South Dakota State 9, Western Illinois 8
 
In game two, the Leathernecks scored five runs in the bottom of the second to take an early lead. The Jackrabbits then answered back with nine runs in the top of fifth to take their first lead of the day. Western would score one run in the sixth and two in the seventh.
 
The Leathernecks went through the order in the bottom of the second, beginning with Hailey Duwa who hit a double to left field and was brought home safely when Hoelting hit a RBI single to right center. After Nina Maggio hit an infield single and Taylor Messer reached on an error by the pitcher, the duo were driven home when Kouchis launched a double to left field. Bottino then stepped up to the plate and hit a two-run single to centerfield to score Kouchis and Rachel Beatty, who reached on a fielder's choice earlier in the inning. That gave the Leathernecks a 5-0 lead.
 
Western held onto its lead until the top of the fifth when the Jackrabbits scored nine runs. Brooke Stulga was brought in for relief of starting pitcher Kacyee Hart after the first five runs came across the plate. Stulga could not hold the Jackrabbits, sending in Payton Abbot to get the Leathernecks out of the jam.
 
WIU responded in the bottom of the sixth after Compton reached first on an error by the Jackrabbit third baseman. Duwa then hit a single to center field and Hoelting walked to bring up Maggio who hit a single to center, scoring Compton and cutting the deficit to three runs at the end of six innings.
 
The Leathernecks would not go down without a fight. In the bottom of the seventh, Kouchis singled to center and advanced to second when Bottino grounded out. With two outs, Marlow hit an RBI triple to right field, and then made it all the way home on a throwing error. Western was unable to produce the winning runs and fell by a final score of 9-8.
 
Western garnered a total of 14 hits in the loss. Marlow and Maggio each led the team with three hits apiece, while Kouchis, Bottino, and Duwa each had two hits. Bottino and Kouchis led the team with two RBI, while Kouchis scored two runs. Hart got the start in the circle, pitching 4 1/3 innings with five earned runs, six hits, and a season-high six strikeouts.
 
The Purple and Gold look to take the series from SDSU tomorrow morning at 11 a.m. at Mary Ellen McKee Stadium.
 
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