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Payton Abbott Celebration FP
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8
South Dakota USD 10-19
9
Winner Western Illinois WIU 11-20
South Dakota USD
10-19
8
Final
9
Western Illinois WIU
11-20
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 R H E
South Dakota USD 0 6 0 0 0 1 1 8 10 2
Western Illinois WIU 0 0 0 0 3 0 6 9 12 2

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

Game Recap: Softball | | WIU Athletic Communications

Leatherneck Softball Earns Comeback Win in Walk-Off Fashion Sunday

WIU scored six runs in the bottom of the seventh inning to defeat South Dakota, 9-8

PHOTOS

MACOMB, Ill. – Western Illinois trailed by five runs heading into the bottom of the seventh inning before the Leathernecks rallied to score six, capped off by a walk-off single from Sydney Hollings to beat South Dakota, 9-8, Sunday (March 26) at Mary Ellen McKee Stadium.
 
"That was so much fun. That is how this team has been all year," said head coach Holly Van Vlymen about WIU's comeback win. "They're my cardiac kids, as I like to call them. They like to save the best for last."
 
The Leathernecks improve to 11-20 overall and 2-1 in Summit League play with the win, and South Dakota falls to 10-19 on the year and 1-2 in league action.
 
Brooke Stulga opened the bottom of the seventh with a solo home run. Then, with two runners on base, Taylor Messer hit an RBI single to left field to cut WIU's deficit to three, 8-5.
 
With the bases loaded Payton Abbott was able to connect on a 2-run single, followed by Rachel Beatty ripping an RBI single to right field to tie the game at 8-8.
 
Abbott, who was able to advance over to third base thanks to a fielding error after Beatty's single to right, was sent home for the game-winning run after Hollings hit a hard grounder to USD's shortstop, giving WIU the win.
 
"I knew with where we were at in the lineup… that had been the part of the lineup that had been coming through for us so I was confident," continued Van Vlymen. "I'm very proud of all of them, they had that mentality and went up there and did what they needed to do for the team."
 
Early on in the game it was all USD as the Coyotes were able to jump out to a 6-0 advantage. South Dakota was held scoreless in the top of the first before using four hits to score six runs in the second inning. The Coyotes hit two home runs and a triple in the half inning.
 
Both teams were held scoreless in the third and fourth innings before Western used back-to-back solo home runs courtesy of Abbott and Beatty, and an RBI double from Kelsey Marlow in the fifth to cut USD's lead to 6-3.
 
The Coyotes added a run in the sixth with an RBI double of their own, and then built their lead up to 8-3 with a 1-run single in the seventh prior to WIU's seventh-inning rally.
 
Eight different Leathernecks recorded at least a hit, and eight scored at least a run.
 
Abbott led WIU at the plate going 3-for-4 with three RBIs and two runs scored. Her solo home run in the fifth was her third of the season.
 
Marlow and Beatty each went 2-for-4 at the plate. Marlow recorded a double and an RBI, while Beatty hit her second home run of the season, finished with two RBIs and a run scored.
 
Emily Ira started the game for Western at pitcher before being replaced by Stulga after 1.2 innings. Stulga picked up her fourth win of the season and pitched 5.1 innings, giving up two runs (one earned) on six hits.
 
South Dakota's Ally Wiegand suffered the loss and falls to 5-7 on the year. She pitched the entire contest, giving up nine runs (eight earned) on 12 hits and walked five batters.
 
Camille Fowler, Emily Winckler and Jessica Rogers led South Dakota offensively, each going 2-for-4 at the plate. Fowler recorded a team-best three RBIs, and hit a double and triple in the game.
 
Western Illinois continues Summit League play on the road next weekend with a 3-game series at Omaha. The two teams are slated for a doubleheader on Saturday, April 1, at 12 p.m. before concluding the series on Sunday at 11 a.m.
 
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