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Western Illinois University Athletics

Bailey Montgomery
WIU Visual Productions Center
3
Maryville MUBASE 8-14
4
Winner Western Illinois WIU 3-13
Maryville MUBASE
8-14
3
Final
4
Western Illinois WIU
3-13
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E
Maryville MUBASE 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 1 0 3 6 1
Western Illinois WIU 0 0 0 3 0 0 0 1 X 4 8 1

W: Baksha, J.T. (1-0) L: Peters, Andrew (1-3) S: Borchers, Colan (1)

Game Recap: Baseball |

Montgomery's Two-Out Bunt Cements Victory over Maryville

For the second time in as many games, the junior went 3-for-3 at the plate, recording three RBIs in WIU's 4-3 win over Maryville.

MACOMB, Ill. – One at-bat can change a game, and on Wednesday (March 21), Bailey Montgomery was a game changer. For the second time in as many games, the junior went 3-for-3 at the plate, recording three RBIs – all go-ahead scores – in Western Illinois' 4-3 victory over Maryville.
 
The success marked back-to-back wins for the Leatherneck baseball program.
 
"There's an old saying, 'A win is a win regardless of how you get it.' We found a way to pull it out," said head coach Ryan Brownlee. "I give our pitchers a lot of credit. They kept us in there and allowed us to come back. We executed a couple of hit and runs, Bailey Montgomery had a great day, and you need that in a midweek setting.
 
"Usually our first midweek home game, doesn't always look pretty, but we found a way to win and a lot of that had to do with our pitchers and our defense."
 
Both sides had early opportunities as the Saints loaded the bases in the first inning and Western did the same in the second, but the game remained scoreless until the fourth. The Leathernecks saw themselves trailing 2-0 after Maryville stole home and scored another on a wild pitch, but the deficit didn't last long.
 
In the home half of the frame, Montgomery tied things with a 2-RBI double down the left field line and later scored on a wild pitch to lift Western up, 3-2.
 
"Me and Coach B worked on swinging with more intent and being a little bit more aggressive early on in the count," said Montgomery. "I was just really going up to bat with a lot of confidence, seeing the ball well and just trying to put the ball on the barrel. When you do that, good things will happen."
 
Helped by stellar pitching, including a career effort from J.T. Baksha, momentum favored the Leathernecks. He pitched a season-high 3.1 innings with a career-high five strike outs, and conceded one hit and one run en route to his fourth career win.
 
The Saints used a sacrifice fly to even the score at 3-3 in the top of the eighth, and again Montgomery delivered, this time with a two-out RBI-bunt.  
 
"Bailey was huge with the two-out drag bunt. I've harped on our guys for six years that when we finally do that, it's going to win us a game, and it did. Hopefully this win gives us momentum. Even if we aren't playing that great, we can still find ways to win and that's the most important thing."
 
Colan Borchers picked up the save in one inning pitched and freshman Jordan Mikel received his first collegiate start. The box score also featured fellow newcomer Jace Warkentien, and Sam Cottingham-Beard, and as a unit, Western's pitchers allowed just six hits while striking out 11.  
 
The Leathernecks will return to Alfred D. Boyer Stadium Friday for a three-game series against South Dakota State. Action begins at 3 p.m.
 
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