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Hollings bunt
Mark Kuhlmann
8
Winner Western Illinois WIU 18-19
3
Omaha OMAHA 4-41
Winner
Western Illinois WIU
18-19
8
Final
3
Omaha OMAHA
4-41
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 R H E
Western Illinois WIU 0 0 1 0 2 0 0 5 8 9 1
Omaha OMAHA 0 0 0 0 1 2 0 0 3 4 0

W: Ira, Emily (13-6) L: Ha. Jones (1-13)

10
Winner Western Illinois WIU 19-19
5
Omaha OMAHA 4-42
Winner
Western Illinois WIU
19-19
10
Final
5
Omaha OMAHA
4-42
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 R H E
Western Illinois WIU 2 2 2 0 0 2 2 10 13 3
Omaha OMAHA 3 0 2 0 0 0 0 5 8 1

W: Carlin, Abby (4-8) L: Ryanne Millington (2-14)

Game Recap: Softball | | WIU Athletic Communications

Leathernecks Pull Away From Mavericks in Fourth Consecutive Series Win

The Western win streak extended to eight.

OMAHA, Neb.- The bats heated up late in a pair of Western Illinois (19-19, 11-6) softball victories over Omaha (4-42, 2-15) on Saturday, May 4. The Leathernecks have strung together four consecutive series wins and matched last season's eight-game winning streak.
 
"We tried to not let anything affect us," head coach Beth Golitko said. "We wanted to still play our game because we had to get the job done."
 
Game One (Western Illinois 8, Omaha 3)
 
After a hard slide into second base in the top of the second, starting pitcher Emily Ira exited the game and Payton Abbott tossed two scoreless innings with a pair of strikeouts. Abbott helped her own cause with a solo homer to the deepest part of the centerfield during the top of the third. She leads the Leathernecks with five homers and 26 RBI.
 
The Leathernecks utilized some two-out magic in the top of the fifth inning with both runners in scoring position as Danielle Olson delivered a clutch two-run single through the right side of the infield. Down 3-0, Omaha got on the board in the bottom half of the frame with a solo homer by Alexa Sedlak.
 
Sydney Schelkopf doubled to lead off the Maverick half of the sixth inning and scored on a triple to right by Lauren Lauvetz. The game knotted up 3-3 after a double from Jamie White heading into the seventh inning.
 
Western did not waste time to score in extras as Ira blooped a base-hit to right center and legged out a double while pinch-runner Ashley Minyard crossed home plate for the go-ahead run. Jasmine Lara reached on a fielder's choice to plate Halle Hollatz for a 5-3 advantage. A bases-loaded walk issued to Abbott added another run before Olson came through in the clutch again with a two-run single up the middle.
 
Ira (13-5) finished off her seventh consecutive win by striking out six batters over six innings of work.
 
Game Two (Western Illinois 10, Omaha 5)
 
Olson kicked things off in game two with her first collegiate home run, a two-run shot over the fence in left. Omaha responded by manufacturing three runs in the bottom of the first to move ahead 3-2.
 
An inning later with two outs, Hailey Duwa hit a groundball to third and a Maverick error allowed a pair of runs to come in. Aggressive base-running paid off in the top of the third as Aly Compton raced in to score from second on a groundball to first. The Western lead pushed to 6-3 after Olson brought in her seventh run of the day on a bases-loaded walk.
 
In the bottom half of the third, Lexi Burkhardt slammed a two-run homer to keep the Mavericks in the game, trailing 6-5. Abby Carlin (4-8) worked out of a nobody out, bases loaded jam in the bottom of the fifth and that momentum helped Western hold on.
 
"The team really came together," Goltiko said. "Abby stayed confident with herself and the team was confident behind her. She does a great job feeding the defense."
 
Sidney Bottino stayed hot at the plate by lacing an RBI single into left field. The WIU edge extended to 8-5 after Ealy split the gap with a run-scoring triple. Two more insurance runs came across for the Purple and Gold in the top of the seventh.
 
Carlin won her third straight start by surrendering two earned runs with three walks and three strikeouts.
 
The regular season and Omaha series finale is set for Sunday (May 5) at 11 a.m.
 
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