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Western Illinois University Athletics

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2
Western Illinois WIU 0-1
3
Winner Tennessee Tech TTU 1-0
Western Illinois WIU
0-1
2
Final
3
Tennessee Tech TTU
1-0
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E
Western Illinois WIU 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 2 6 3
Tennessee Tech TTU 1 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 X 3 7 1

W: MORGAN, Cale (1-0) L: Drake, Javin (0-1) S: COLE, Jacob (1)

Game Recap: Baseball |

Leathernecks Rally Late in Opening Day Showdown at TTU

Tennessee Tech scored all three of its runs in the first three innings, but the last two frames belonged to Western.

COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – Opening Day 2019 pit the Western Illinois baseball team against the reigning NCAA Oxford Regional champion Tennessee Tech Friday (Feb. 15), and WIU rally caps were on full display in the 3-2 setback. 

TTU scored all three of its runs in the first three innings, but the last two frames belonged to Western as it plated a score in each before closing the outing with a runner left stranded at third base. 

"Our team had a lot of great input after the game on what we did well and what we need to improve on," said head coach Ryan Brownlee. "Javin [Drake] and Jace [Warketien] both did a great job of competing in the strike zone. They both pitched through adversity and kept the score down in a very hitter-friendly ballpark."

"The team also commented on good energy but mentioned that we need to sustain it from the first pitch to the last pitch. It took us a little bit to get comfortable at the plate. We showed more of what we are going to be late in the game. Once we relax as a unit and shrink the hitting area in our counts, the numbers will come."

Javin Drake was dishing some of his best, but while the Leathernecks were working to get their offense going, Tennessee Tech jumped out to an early 3-0 lead. The Golden Eagles pushed one across home plate in the very first inning and another two in the third before Steve McShane registered Western's first hit of the 2019 season.

The senior sent a leadoff single through the right side at the top of the fifth inning, and WIU's next 'first' came from the bat of its newcomer Kevin Raisbeck. Dillon Sears opened the eighth with a leadoff walk, moved to third base after a single by C.J. Schaeffer Jr., and became the first Leatherneck to touch all four bases when Raisbeck drove a 2-2 pitch down the left field line. 

The hit animated Western's offense as Alex Dorethy and Bailey Montgomery doubled and singled, respectively, to place two in scoring position with no outs. Unfortunately, the ninth-inning effort was followed by three straight outs, with one of them – an RBI ground out by Dillon Sears – spurring a run. 

In 6.0 innings of action, Drake (0-1) limited the Golden Eagles to three runs (two earned) on five hits, while fanning four.  

Western will wrap the three-game road series with a doubleheader Saturday that begins at 1 p.m. 
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