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Western Illinois University Athletics

Baseball
Rachael Keating
18
Winner Western Illinois WIU 2-13
11
SIUE SIUE 9-6
Winner
Western Illinois WIU
2-13
18
Final
11
SIUE SIUE
9-6
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E
Western Illinois WIU 0 0 7 0 5 2 0 4 0 18 13 2
SIUE SIUE 4 0 3 0 1 3 0 0 0 11 14 3

W: Bell, Jack (1-0) L: KUBIK (0-1)

Game Recap: Baseball | | WIU Athletic Communications

Baseball Wins Offensive Battle Over SIUE

WIU's 18 runs are the most in a game since 2019.

EDWARDSVILLE, ILL.- Western Illinois baseball (2-13) won an offensive battle with in-state opponent SIU-Edwardsville (9-6) 18-11. The Leathernecks trailed early but used multiple big innings to pull away for a season-high 18 runs. The 18 runs makes it the second time WIU has scored more than 10 in a game this season, and it's their first time scoring more than 15 runs since March 2019.
 
The Cougars took command right away, using four hits in the first inning to jump out to a 4-0 lead. SIU-Edwardsville put runners on second and third with no outs in the bottom of the second, but Jacob Greenan got out of the jam with three strikeouts to keep it a four-run game.
 
Western Illinois got going in the third and used a huge seven-run inning to flip momentum completely. In that inning, SIU-Edwardsville gave WIU three runs by surrendering a pair of bases-loaded walks and hitting Diego Munoz with a pitch with the bases loaded. The other four runs came via a single from Dillon Sears, a sacrifice fly from Sam Maddox, and a two-run single from Kory Olsen.
 
SIU-Edwardsville answered with an RBI single in the bottom of the third and used a walk to force WIU to make a pitching change. Jack Bell took over but surrendered a two-run single to the first batter he faced to allow the Cougars to tie the game at 7-7. However, Bell managed to retire the next two batters to keep the score tied.
 
In the fifth, Western Illinois got back-to-back one-out singles from Maddox and Olsen, and both runners managed to score on a throwing error by SIU-Edwardsville during Matt Santarelli's at-bat. Santarelli scored on the next pitch thanks to a double from Gage Cruz to give Western Illinois a 10-7 lead. After back-to-back walks by WIU, Dillon Sears drove in two more runs with a single to right to put the Leathernecks ahead 12-7.
 
SIUE added a run in the bottom of the fifth with an RBI single, but Jackson Hugus answered in the top of the sixth for Western Illinois with a two-out double to score Santarelli and Maddox to give Western Illinois a six-run lead.
 
The Cougars used a double in the bottom of the sixth to make the score 14-9 and then capitalized on a pair of mistakes by WIU. A throwing error and wild pitch gave SIU-Edwardsville two more runs to get them back within three.
 
Western Illinois drew two walks in the eighth to put runners at the corners with two outs and looked for Hugus to deliver to give them a big insurance run. The freshman did just that with a single to left to score Olsen for his fourth RBI of the game to put Western Illinois up by four. The Leathernecks weren't done, as Dillon Sears drove in his fourth run of the contest with a single to right, giving Western Illinois a 16-11 lead. Jack Sievers came into pinch hit and gave the Leathernecks runs 17 and 18 with a two-run single center.
 
The Leathernecks used three strikeouts in the ninth to seal the deal for their second win of the season.
 
Jack Bell earned his first career win in Edwardsville, pitching two and two-thirds innings, allowing one run, three hits, and struck out one batter. Kyle Rosenfeld closed things out for Western Illinois, pitching the final two innings, allowing no runs, one hit, and striking out five of the eight batters he faced.
 
Western Illinois had a number of big offensive performances, led by a career game from fifth-year senior Dillon Sears. Sears ended with a career-high four hits in the game and a career-high four RBIs, with a double, two runs scored, and a stolen base.
 
Freshman catcher Jackson Hugus had another huge day at the plate, going 2-3 with a double, two walks, two runs scored, and a career-high four RBIs.
 
Kory Olsen ended the game 2-4 with two RBIs, a walk, two runs scored, and a stolen base. Olsen extended his hitting streak to six with his multi-hit performance, and it's his third straight game with multiple hits.
 
Sam Maddox batted 2-5 in the nine spot, driving in a run and scoring two.
 
Western Illinois will be back on Friday (March 18) as they start Summit League play with a three-game series at Northern Colorado. This will be WIU's first matchup against the Bears as conference opponents.
 
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