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Western Illinois University Athletics

Baseball
Steve Roberts, WKU Athletics
14
Winner Western Illinois WIU 1-1
7
WKU WKU 1-1
Winner
Western Illinois WIU
1-1
14
Final
7
WKU WKU
1-1
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E
Western Illinois WIU 0 0 1 0 2 3 6 2 0 14 17 2
WKU WKU 2 0 0 1 0 0 0 4 0 7 5 3

W: Warkentien, Jace (1-0) L: Luke Stofel (0-1)

Game Recap: Baseball | | WIU Athletic Communications

Leathernecks Offense Erupts Late For First Win

Western Illinois struck for six runs in the seventh inning en route to a 14-7 win.

BOWLING GREEN, KY.- Western Illinois (1-1) had a huge day on the offensive end in their 14-7 win over Western Kentucky (1-1) to give the club their first win of the season. Western Illinois trailed early but scored 14 unanswered runs in innings five through eight to topple the Hilltoppers.
 
In the first inning, Western Kentucky jumped on Jace Warkentien with a two-run home run to take a 2-0 lead after one. WIU got on the board in the third on a sac fly from Nick Mitchell to make the score 2-1. An error by Western Illinois kept the bottom of the fourth alive for the Hilltoppers, and they turned the mistake into a run on an RBI single to take a 3-1 lead.
 
Western Illinois struck for a pair of runs with two outs in the fifth after getting four straight hits from the top of the order. Mitchell started things with a triple, which set up Kory Olsen to drive him in on an RBI single to right. Adam Juran scored Olsen later on with a single to left to tie the game at 3-3.
 
Jack Sievers gave the Leathernecks their first lead with a single to short in the sixth to take a 4-3 lead. An error later in the inning by Western Kentucky let two more runners cross the plate to put WIU up 6-3.
 
The seventh inning would be the dagger for Western Illinois, putting up six runs. CJ Richmond began the big inning with a solo home run to right for the first long ball of the season. The solo blast is Richmond's first of his collegitate career. Three more runners scored before Derek Botaletto sent one over the right-field wall for a two-run shot to put Western up 12-3.
 
In the eighth, Western Illinois added two more runs on an RBI double from Toby Allred and an RBI single from Mitchell. Western Kentucky added four runs in the bottom half of the inning.
 
Jace Warkentien starts the season 1-0 with his opening day start. Warkentien bounced back from the early home run to go six innings, allowing two earned runs (three total) and struck out six.
 
The top of the order all had big days at the plate. The top three hitters combined to go 9-15 with eight RBIs and five runs scored. Nick Mitchell ended the game 3-5 with a triple, three RBIs, two runs scored, and a stolen base. Kory Olsen went 3-5 with three RBIs, and Derek Botaletto ended 3-5 with a two-run home run and a walk.
 
The offense for Western Illinois combined for 14 runs on 18 hits. WIU had seven extra-base hits with four doubles, a triple, and a pair of home runs.
 
The series concludes tomorrow with game three of the series beginning at 1 p.m.
 
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