Skip To Main Content

Upcoming Events and Recent Results

Western Illinois University Athletics

Conner Currier
WIU Visual Productions Center
11
Winner North Dakota State NDSU 30-24
4
Western Illinois WIU 18-32
Winner
North Dakota State NDSU
30-24
11
Final
4
Western Illinois WIU
18-32
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E
North Dakota State NDSU 1 5 2 0 0 0 0 0 3 11 13 0
Western Illinois WIU 0 1 1 0 0 0 1 1 0 4 11 5

W: Reed Pfannenstein (7-4) L: Koch, Ian (5-5)

Game Recap: Baseball | | WIU Athletic Communications

WIU Ends Season at Summit League Tournament

Leathernecks wrap up 2017 campaign following an 11-4 defeat

TULSA, Okla. – Western Illinois fell behind early and wound up losing the elimination game Thursday afternoon (May 25) at The Summit League Baseball Tournament 11-4 to North Dakota State.
 
Ian Koch started the game with a strikeout and groundout. However, the second-seeded Bison (30-24) staged a two-out rally using a walk, single and throwing error to score a run.
 
Western put together a rally of its own in the first. Mitch Ellis singled with one out then Adam McGinnis walked, but an inning-ending double play on a hard hit ball up the middle ended the threat.
 
NDSU sent 11 batters to the plate in the second, scoring five runs on three hits, two errors and two hit batters for a 6-0 lead. Western got a run back in its half. Deion Thompson doubled and scored on a two-out RBI single by Conner Currier.
 
Another throwing error and two-out hit by the Bison led to two runs in the third and 8-1 lead. Cord Church led off the third with a single, stole second and scored on a groundout by McGinnis.
 
In the NDSU half of the third, Nate Westfahl – the third WIU pitcher of the game – entered and got the final out. The Bison used a leadoff error and walk to put two on and threaten to score more. A sacrifice bunt moved both into scoring position, but Westfahl got a strikeout and groundout to end the threat. The senior would go on and retire 11 straight and 17-of-18 before NDSU got to him in the ninth with two outs and scored three runs.
 
While Westfahl kept NDSU in check, Western kept chipping away. Roman Visintine hit his Summit League-leading fifth triple with one out in the fourth, but the Leathernecks could not get a hit with two on and two out. Currier led off the seventh with his first-ever home run for the Purple & Gold.
 
The Leathernecks had the bases loaded in the eighth with no one out. McGinnis and Johnathan Fleek started the inning with a single then Chris Tschida walked. A groundout brought home another run, then NDSU was able to get another inning-ending double play.
 
Currier got his season-high third hit to start the ninth and Steve McShane singled to put the first two on base. NDSU got back-to-back strikeouts, McGinnis walked to load the bases but a fielder's choice groundout ended the game.
 
Currier finished 3-for-4 with two RBI. Fleek added two hits as Western recorded 11 in the game. Koch (5-5) was charged for the loss, allowing six runs – only two earned – on four hits in 1.2 innings. He walked two and struck out one.
 
Westfahl recorded a career-high 6.1 innings pitched and fanned a career-best five batters.
 
Reed Pfannenstein allowed four runs on nine hits in eight innings. He walked three and struck out seven. Bennett Hostetler finished with four hits and four RBI.
 
 
Print Friendly Version