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Western Illinois University Athletics

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4
Winner Western Illinois WIU 15-23
1
Illinois State ILS 11-28
Winner
Western Illinois WIU
15-23
4
Final
1
Illinois State ILS
11-28
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E
Western Illinois WIU 2 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 4 10 0
Illinois State ILS 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 5 2

W: Minella, Pete (2-0) L: Bellinger, Jack (0-1) S: Westfahl, Nate (3)

Game Recap: Baseball | | WIU Athletic Communications

Leathernecks Defeat Illinois State 4-1

Seven pitchers combine on victory

NORMAL, Ill. – Western Illinois jumped out to an early lead and held off two Illinois State rallies to defeat the Redbirds 4-1 on Tuesday night. The Leathernecks have now won seven of their last 10 games, improving to 15-23 overall.
 
Drue Galassi, the reigning Co-National Player of the Week, lined a sharp single to center with one out in the first. Adam McGinnis executed the hit-and-run to put runners on the corners. Chris Tschida brought home Galassi with a single through the right side, sending McGinnis to third. Johnathan Fleek added a sacrifice fly for the early 2-0 lead.
 
Pete Minella (2-0), the first of seven WIU pitchers, started the game and pitched two scoreless innings with a hit allowed and a strikeout.
 
The Redbirds got on the scoreboard in the fourth inning off a leadoff home run from Owen Miller. ISU drew consecutive walks to force a pitching change by head coach Ryan Brownlee. J.T. Baksha entered and got a strikeout when the Redbirds attempted a bunt with two strikes and it went foul. Fleek then fielded a grounder to start an inning-ending 4-6-3 double play to keep it a 2-1 lead.
 
In the fifth, Colan Borchers allowed a leadoff single then struck out a batter. Joe Butler singled and went to second on the throw, putting two runners in scoring position. Borchers got another strikeout, then intentionally walked Miller to load the bases. On a 3-2 pitch, Borchers got a groundout to Fleek ending ISU's scoring threat.
 
Western added two runs in the seventh inning. Roman Visintine singled to start. Mitch Ellis reached on a bunt then Austin Emanuel walked to load the bases. Dave Dobrinich's bunt attempt didn't work and Visintine was caught stealing for home. However, in that at-bat Dobrinich lined a RBI single making it 3-1. Two batters later, Adam McGinnis had a rare strikeout for out number three, but on the throw down to first on the dropped third the catcher's throw went high and he was safe, allowing Emanuel to score for a 4-1 advantage.
 
ISU put a runner on with a one-out walk in the seventh, but Ellis made a nice pick on a short-hop grounder to third and started a 5-4-3 inning-ending double play. In the eighth ISU used a leadoff walk and single to bring the tying run to the plate. Sam Cottingham-Beard got a flyball to Galassi for the first out. A wild pitch put both runners in scoring position, but the right-hander got a strikeout and flyball to end the inning.
 
Nate Westfahl entered with one out in the ninth and got the final two outs for his third save this year.
 
Dobrinich, McGinnis, Ellis and Galassi had two hits apiece as the Leathernecks out-hit ISU 10-5.
 
"That was a beautiful baseball game. We had some tight situations, guys came in and did their job on the mound. We had a nice cushion getting off to a good start, offensively lately we've been getting off to a good start. It allows you to relax a little bit, you still have to stay focused but it allows you to breathe a little bit. Pete's (Minella) strike percentage has been unbelievable, but the guys who came in after that did a good job picking each other up. We didn't have much to show for it in the middle of the game but we stayed with it," said head coach Ryan Brownlee. "McGinnis had the good hustle play, he didn't feel sorry for himself on the strikeout and hustled down to first causing their catcher to make a throwing error there and that was a big insurance run."
 
Miller had two of the hits for the Redbirds (11-28).
 
Brownlee has seen an improvement in his team over the past three midweek contests, going 2-1.
 
"It was great for us to come over here in the middle of the week and we were ready to play. I'm really proud how we adjusted since our game at Edwardsville. Our guys have been ready to go in the midweek and I'm really proud of them coming ready to play."
 
The Leathernecks return to Alfred D. Boyer Stadium this weekend for a three-game Summit League series against Omaha. First pitch on Friday (April 28) is scheduled for 3 p.m.
 
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