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Nate Pollock had two hits and scored a run.
9
Winner Fort Wayne IPFW 15-19, 2-11 Summit
1
Western Illinois WIU 10-21, 7-6 Summit
Winner
Fort Wayne IPFW
15-19, 2-11 Summit
9
Final
1
Western Illinois WIU
10-21, 7-6 Summit
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E
Fort Wayne IPFW 3 3 0 0 0 0 0 3 0 9 12 0
Western Illinois WIU 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 1 6 0

W: Evan Miller (4-3) L: Michel, Aaron (1-5)

Game Recap: Baseball | | WIU Athletic Communications

Leathernecks Drop Opener to Fort Wayne

Roman Visintine and Nathan Pollock finished with two hits each

PHOTO GALLERY

MACOMB, Ill. – Western Illinois dropped its Summit League baseball series opener 9-1 to Fort Wayne on Friday afternoon (April 15) at Alfred D. Boyer Stadium. The Leathernecks fell to 10-21 overall and 7-6 in the Summit League.
 
Fort Wayne jumped out to an early 3-0 lead after the first three batters following a leadoff single then a double and 2-run home run by Greg Kaiser.
 
Western threatened in its half. Roman Visintine singled to start the first, followed by Chris Tschida drawing a walk. Two batters later Mark Garton walked to load the bases but Mastodon starter Evan Miller got out of the jam thanks to a strikeout and groundout.
 
"We allowed them to get comfortable, giving up a three spot in the first inning. Days like today you have to learn to pitch down early. Aaron wasn't as sharp as he has been but to his credit he hung in there. He gave us a chance to get back in it," said head coach Ryan Brownlee. "They were going to let us back in it in the first inning. We had a chance to get a couple of runs back, it's a completely different ball game if we score."
 
The Mastodons added to their lead with a solo home run from Brandon Soat in the second then two batters later Kaiser hit his second consecutive 2-run homer for a 6-0 lead.
 
Miller kept Western in check after getting out of the bases loaded jam, retiring 14 consecutive batters until the sixth. Visintine led off the inning with a single up the middle. Tschida walked, but he was erased a ground ball double play as Visintine went to third. A groundout ended the scoring threat.
 
The Leathernecks got an inning-ending double play to finish Fort Wayne's scoring threat in the seventh. Then during their half, Nathan Pollock lined a two-out single. He scored on Adam McGinnis' RBI double off the centerfield fence.
 
Kaiser added to his home run total, hitting his third 2-run homer to nearly the same spot as his previous two during the eighth inning. That extended the Fort Wayne lead to 9-1.
 
Pollock singled in the ninth to turn in his third career two-hit game, and the senior centerfielder recorded a season-high nine putouts in the field. Visintine added a pair of hits, recording at least one hit in 16 of his last 18 games.
 
Aaron Michel (1-5) struck out a season-high eight batters (tying for the second-highest total in his career) while giving up the six runs on eight hits. He retired 11 of the final 13 batters he faced in order with five strikeouts. Ricky Digrugilliers went the final three innings, striking out two.
 
Miller (4-3) gave up one run on four hits in seven innings. He walked three and struck out five. Kaiser and Sean Herberger had three hits apiece as the top three Fort Wayne (15-19, 2-11) hitters combined for seven hits, eight runs and nine RBI.
 
"Don't be fooled by their conference record. They had a tough little stretch but that's a veteran lineup over there," said Brownlee. "We allowed Miller to get comfortable. That's part of being ready is being ready for your opportunities to get a few runs back there and chip away. That's all we had to do to get back in the game was scratch and claw to get a couple runs… It's another opportunity tomorrow to get back at it."
 
The Leathernecks continue their three-game homestand on Saturday afternoon (April 16). The WIU baseball alumni in attendance will be recognized prior to first pitch at 1 p.m.
 
 
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