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1
North Dakota State NDSU 8-14, 1-4 Summit
5
Winner Western Illinois WIU 5-15, 3-2 Summit
North Dakota State NDSU
8-14, 1-4 Summit
1
Final
5
Western Illinois WIU
5-15, 3-2 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 0 0 0 0 1 0 1 2 1
Western Illinois WIU 1 0 3 0 1 0 0 0 X 5 7 2

W: Church, Preston (1-2) L: Reed Pfannenstein (1-4)

Game Recap: Baseball | | WIU Athletic Communications

Preston Church, Leathernecks Defeat NDSU in Game Two

Senior left-hander struck out a career-high 10 batters

MACOMB, Ill. – Senior Preston Church scattered just two hits over eight innings and struck out a career-high 10 batters leading Western Illinois to a 5-1 victory over North Dakota State on Saturday afternoon (March 25).
 
Church struck out the side in the eighth and fanned at least one batter in seven of his eight innings. He allowed a two-out single in the fourth then gave up a pinch-hit solo homer in the eighth. It's the second time this week Western's pitching staff allowed just two hits in a victory (9-0 over St. Ambrose on Wednesday).
 
"Anytime Preston throws like that you just realize how much you missed him last year. There is a huge difference between having him and not having him last year, and that's why you feel good about coming into this year. You know he is going to be healthy," said head coach Ryan Brownlee. "He wasn't sharp last week, got off his routine, but he got back into his routine this week. That's as sharp as he's been in a long time. We can tell he is feeling healthy, very composed and he just never gave them a chance. He never allowed them to get in any sort of rhythm at all and we made some really good plays behind him."
 
The Leathernecks got on the scoreboard in the first inning. Cord Church led off with a single up the middle. He went to third on Adam McGinnis' hit-and-run single then scored when pitcher Reed Pfannenstein balked.
 
In the third, Church led off the inning with a double. Roman Visintine walked and both scored on McGinnis's 2-run double. He went to third on a groundout and scored thanks to a sacrifice fly from Johnathan Fleek.
 
Western went ahead 5-0 in the fifth. McGinnis drew a one-out walk, stole second and scored on Fleek's RBI single.
 
Pete Minella finished off the game by pitching a 1-2-3 ninth inning with a strikeout.
 
McGinnis drove in two runs and scored twice. Cord Church scored twice on his two hits and Mitch Ellis also added two hits and a walk. Fleek added a pair of RBI, a hit and two walks. Western held a 7-2 edge in hits.
 
"Offensively obviously we did a good job at scoring runs when we needed to. It was a different day offensively today, which worked out a little more in our favor today than yesterday. I told the guys after the game we played good enough to win yesterday and we didn't, but that happens sometimes in baseball. They were ready to go today. I'm very proud of my team in that way because even if we have a tough game here or there, they don't show it the next day, they come ready to play," stated Brownlee. "That's a sign of mental toughness with baseball. Good or bad what happened the day before you got to flush it and go out the next day. I was really proud of our guys today with the way they showed up."
 
Preston Church (1-2), who missed the remainder of the 2016 season following his home start against NDSU, bounced back from his start last weekend in which he only allowed three hits but walked seven batters. The senior lefty walked one and became the first Leatherneck since Joe Mortillaro (one day shy of an exact year ago) to record 10 or more strikeouts in a game.
 
"Obviously it starts on the mound, every time it's going to start on the mound. Pete did a good job too coming in. Pete is getting stronger. That's another guy we missed last year. Every time out Pete has gotten better and better. He is getting more comfortable," said Brownlee.
 
Pfannenstein (1-4) allowed five runs on seven hits in five innings. He walked four and struck out five. Parker Harm pitched three scoreless innings of relief. JT Core had the solo home run for the Bison's lone run.
 
Western will go for its second straight Summit League series win on Sunday (March 26), first pitch scheduled for 1 p.m.
 
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