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Western Illinois University Athletics

Colan Borchers
Brittany Howe
3
Fort Wayne FW 10-28
6
Winner Western Illinois WIU 11-25
Fort Wayne FW
10-28
3
Final
6
Western Illinois WIU
11-25
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E
Fort Wayne FW 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 2 3 11 1
Western Illinois WIU 2 0 0 0 0 3 0 1 X 6 10 0

W: Dunne, Ryan (3-6) L: Brandon Phelps (4-5) S: Borchers, Colan (4)

Game Recap: Baseball | | WIU Athletic Communications

Seniors Kickoff Senior Weekend with a Win

Ryan Dunne, Colan Borchers and Johnathan Fleek led the way in Western’s 6-3 victory over Fort Wayne.

MACOMB, Ill. – In possibly his final start at Alfred D. Boyer Stadium, Ryan Dunne pitched eight innings of one-run baseball. The soon-to-be-graduate kicked off Western Illinois' Senior Weekend with a 6-3 victory over Fort Wayne Friday, and in the success head coach Ryan Brownlee picked up his 100th career win.

Dunne recorded nine strikeouts before fellow senior Colan Borchers crowned the ballgame with a swinging strikeout. Borchers now has four saves on the season and Dunne three wins.

"I was really just trying to be aggressive on keeping the ball low today. I tried to work the curveball in after the second time through the lineup, just to keep them off balance, and just really tried to have a good mix of my pitches," said Dunne.

"We got some run support early, so that was really nice. That always takes a lot of stress off the pitcher when hitters can get some runs across. It made me a lot more comfortable and able to just throw my pitches."  

Alex Dorethy notched the Leathernecks' first two RBIs of the day with a single in the opening inning and a solo homer in the eighth. The two-out shot went well over the centerfield wall and led the way for Drue Galassi to extend Western's lead to 5-0 with a two-RBI double later in the frame.

Continuing in his theme for much of the season, Dunne didn't allow a baserunner until a leadoff walk in the third inning or a hit until the fourth. The Mastodons loaded the bases with one out on the board in the eighth and scored a run on a walk.

Senior shortstop Johnathan Fleek had a pair of stellar stops in the game, and the latter was a diving grab that turned into an inning-ending double play. 
  Fort Wayne tacked in two scores in the ninth inning and had runners standing at first and third base before Borchers concluded the game.  

Galassi finished the day 2-for-4 with three RBIs.

The series continues with a Saturday doubleheader beginning at noon. Before the first pitch of game one, the Leathernecks will recognize soon-to-be-graduates Borchers, Dunne, Fleek, Sam Cottingham-Beard, David Dobrinich, Mitch Ellis, and Pete Minella.

"This is now, always has been and will be about the players I have coached," said Brownlee. "It is overwhelming to think about the amount of players and games I've coached in 21 years – almost 1,200 games. I told the guys after the game to cherish all of it because tomorrow is not a given. Senior Weekend always tugs at you because you know at some point the season will end and they will move on. You will see them again but it isn't the same. I love our seniors and want this ride to continue as long as we can take it."

Senior Day festivities begin at 11:40 a.m.
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