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Western Illinois University Athletics

Alex Dorethy
Dave Wegiel
13
Winner Western Illinois WIU 22-29, 16-14 Summit
3
Purdue Fort Wayne PFW 7-45, 2-28 Summit
Winner
Western Illinois WIU
22-29, 16-14 Summit
13
Final
3
Purdue Fort Wayne PFW
7-45, 2-28 Summit
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 R H E
Western Illinois WIU 3 1 1 1 5 0 2 13 10 1
Purdue Fort Wayne PFW 0 0 0 0 1 1 1 3 5 1

W: Dorethy, Alex (2-4) L: Justin Miller (0-7)

Game Recap: Baseball |

Leathernecks Clinch Final Spot in Summit League Tournament

The team’s must-win season finale clinched a tournament berth.

FORT WAYNE, Ind. – For the Western Illinois baseball team, its postseason chances hung on the result of its final regular season game. Win, and it claimed the fourth and final spot in the 2019 Summit League Tournament. Lose, and the season was over. 

Leatherneck supporters should prepare for a trip to Tulsa, Okla., as Western Illinois defeated Purdue Fort Wayne by a score of 13-3 Saturday (May 18) afternoon. The Leathernecks recorded at least one run in each of the first five innings, while left-handed pitcher Alex Dorethy held the Mastodons hitless. 

The Leathernecks crown their regular season slate with a program-record 16 league wins and will be seeking their first-ever championship title. The team finished runner-up on four different occasions, most recently in 2014. 

"Speechless right now," said head coach Ryan Brownlee. "This is exactly how you would want a team to handle an elimination game.  No one panicked. Everyone did their jobs, and guys showed up in the biggest game of the year. It is very gratifying for a coach when the guys answer the bell when they need to. I know all coaches say teams face adversity, but you could write a book on what our team has dealt with this year." 

The Summit League Tournament will take place on the campus of Oral Roberts May 22-25.

En route to their third straight SL series win, Dorethy kicked off the high-scoring affair with a 2 RBI home run to left center. The sophomore worked double duty as the Leathernecks' starting pitcher and designated hitter and was also credited with the win in six innings of action. Dorethy yielded just two hits in his appearance while striking out a season-high six. 

The Leathernecks jumped out to an 11-0 lead after a fifth inning that highlighted five runs on three hits. 

"They have been Fighting Leathernecks here down the stretch. I love our guys and to have ended the season today would have been heartbreaking.  Setting the school record for conference wins is a huge accomplishment for how long Western has been playing baseball," Brownlee continued. "We get to continue to play during the best time of year. Hopefully, it is an exciting week in Tulsa." 
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