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Western Illinois University Athletics

MBA_Omaha1_FP
WIU Visual Productions Center
Colton Pogue
16
Winner Western Illinois WIU 1-6
11
Northern Kentucky NKU 2-6
Winner
Western Illinois WIU
1-6
16
Final
11
Northern Kentucky NKU
2-6
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E
Western Illinois WIU 0 7 1 0 5 0 3 0 0 16 19 0
Northern Kentucky NKU 0 0 4 0 3 2 0 2 0 11 12 2

W: Borchers, Colan (1-0) L: WATTS (0-2)

4
Western Illinois WIU 1-7
5
Winner Northern Kentucky NKU 3-6
Western Illinois WIU
1-7
4
Final
5
Northern Kentucky NKU
3-6
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E
Western Illinois WIU 1 0 1 0 0 0 1 0 1 4 5 0
Northern Kentucky NKU 0 1 0 1 0 0 0 1 2 5 11 0

W: BOLIA (1-0) L: Michel, Aaron (0-2)

Game Recap: Baseball | | WIU Athletic Communications

Leatherneck Baseball Splits Doubleheader with Northern Kentucky Saturday

Colton Pogue led WIU on the day going 5-of-9 at the plate including a homerun

WESTFIELD, Ind. – Western Illinois baseball opened its four-game series against Northern Kentucky with a doubleheader on Saturday (March 5). The Fighting Leathernecks downed the Norse 16-11 in game one before falling 5-4 in the second game.
 
"We had a better approach at the plate than we did last weekend. That's why you go on to play the teams that you play… to get better and work on things you need to get better at. Defensively we made more plays and the weather conditions were very tough. I have to give the pitchers credit too, that's not easy to do in the cold. You can't feel your fingers and (our pitchers) really gave us the best chance to win," said head coach Ryan Brownlee. "As for game two, as long as we keep playing games we're going to finish the close ones. This is a great group of guys and everything I ask them to do, they do it. We just have to keep it up. There will be another good opportunity for us tomorrow."

 GAME ONE: 

The Leathernecks came out swinging in game one, putting up eight runs through the first three innings of play, seven in the second inning alone.
 
After a bunt single from Nick Schrader scored Mark Garton to score Western's first run of the game, Chris Tschida hit a three-run double to put Western up 4-0. Adam McGinnis then smacked a double to center, trading places with Tschida, followed by Colton Pogue hitting another Leatherneck double and scoring McGinnis. Garton, who scored previously in the inning, would then send Pogue home with a single through the left side to make it 7-0 in favor of WIU.
 
Justin Fitzpatrick singled in the third inning, plating Schrader who had previously reached on a single himself, putting Western up 8-0.
 
After Northern Kentucky scored four runs in the bottom of the third, WIU was able to extend its lead to nine runs, 13-4, after a 5-run fifth inning.
 
The Norse would add three more runs in the bottom half of the fifth, and two more in the six to cut their deficit to four, 13-9.
 
Western would answer, though, adding insurance runs in the seventh when Pogue scored on a balk after reaching on a double, and Schrader doubling to right field to bring in Connor Currier and Garton to make the score 16-9. Northern Kentucky would go on to score two more runs in the 8th inning, but Western would hold on and earn its first victory of the season.
 
Pogue, Garton and Schrader each had three hits in the game and combined to go 9-of-15 on the day. The trio also recorded five RBIs, four extra-base hits, and runs scored.
 
Starting pitcher Preston Church pitched the first four innings, giving up four runs on two hits, walking six batters, and finishing with four strikeouts.
 
Colan Borches entered the game in the fifth inning with the Leathernecks leading 13-4. Borchers would give up seven hits, five runs, three walks and fan three batters in three innings of play and tally his first win of the season.
 
Jimmy Perkins finished the game for WIU, pitching the final two innings. In the ninth, Perkins would strikeout two of the three Norse batters to seal the win and give Western their first win of the 2016 season.

GAME TWO:
 
Game two of the doubleheader started off strong for the Leathernecks, a game that turned out to be a back-and-fourth battle with Northern Kentucky. The Leathernecks and Norse kicked things off by exchanging runs through the first four innings of play.
 
In the top of the first inning, Pogue hit a solo homerun to right field, putting the Leathernecks up 1-0.
 
After Northern Kentucky tied the game 1-1 in the second, the Leathernecks again took a one-run advantage thanks to Fitzpatrick who scored on a groundout after previously reaching on a triple.
 
The Norse would again tie the game in the fourth inning, 2-2, but the Leathernecks were able to once again grab a one-run lead in the seventh thanks to a Tschida single that scored Erik Maki.
 
After Northern Kentucky scored in the eighth to knot things up again before the two teams went in to the ninth inning with the score all tied up 3-3. McGinnis hit a sacrifice fly to right field, bringing in Currier to put Western on top 4-3. But Northern Kentucky was able to plate two runs in the bottom of the ninth and rob Western of their second straight win.
 
Joe Mortillaro got the nod for WIU in game two of the double-header. He would end up throwing five innings, and gave up two runs on six hits while striking out four Norse. Jordan Pannell would come in during the 6th inning and go 2.2 innings, giving up three hits, one run and striking out five Norse. Aaron Michel would head to the mound in the eighth inning with two outs. He picked up the loss, giving up two runs on two hits while striking out two batters.
 
Colton Pogue went 2-of-4 at the plate with a RBI and a run. Tschida and Currier would combine to go 2-of-6 with an RBI and a run.
 
Western concludes its series with Northern Kentucky Sunday (March 6) with a doubleheader. Game one is slated to start at 11:00 a.m. (CT) with the second contest to follow.
 
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