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5
Western Illinois WIU2023 0-1
11
Winner Southern Indiana USI 1-0
Western Illinois WIU2023
0-1
5
Final
11
Southern Indiana USI
1-0
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E
Western Illinois WIU2023 1 0 0 0 2 2 0 0 0 5 9 1
Southern Indiana USI 0 0 3 0 1 4 3 0 X 11 10 3

W: Ciuffetelli, Blake (1-0) L: Bell, Jack (0-1) S: Morris, Gavin (1)

Game Recap: Baseball | | WIU Athletic Communications

Leathernecks Drop Season Opener

Nick Mitchell has 3 RBIs in Loss

MACOMB, Ill – Western Illinois Baseball team dropped their season opener to Southern Indiana 11-5 on Friday (Feb. 17) afternoon. The Leathernecks finished with five runs on nine hits.

Opening day started with excitement as Nick Mitchell lined the second pitch; he saw into right field for his first base hit of the season. He would then steal second and move onto third as the USI catcher would throw it into center field. Kyree Alexander would then drive him in on a ground ball to give WIU the 1-0 lead.

The score would stay 1-0 till USI would get three runs on a triple in the bottom of the third. WIU would threaten in the top half of the fourth. The Leathernecks would load the bases as Jake Allgeyer, Adam Juran would single, and Peter Fusek would get hit by a pitch. A 4-6-3 double play would wipe out the scoring opportunity.

The top half of the fifth would start with a bang as Mitchell would send one over the right field fence to bring WIU back within one. Alexander would follow it up and send one over the left field fence to tie the game at three. USI would get one back as they hit a solo home run.

WIU would jump back in front at the top of the sixth. Peter Fusek would have a two-out single. Fusek would end up getting to third base on an error by USI. Jack Sievers would then step up and take a pitch in the back to put runners on the corners. Once again, Nick Mitchell would send a deep drive to right field, and it would hit halfway up the wall for an RBI double. Both Fusek and Sievers would come around to score as the Leathernecks would jump back in front 5-4. 

Southern Indiana would score seven unanswered runs as they would end up taking the season opener 11-5

Nick Mitchel would lead the offensive categories with three hits, three RBIs, and a home run. Senior shortstop Derek Botaletto was the only other Leatherneck to have multiple hits, as he tallied two. Kyree Alexander had two RBIs and a home run in his Leatherneck debut. Mitchel Sampson took the ball on the mound to start. Sampson went four innings, letting up four runs on four hits. He struck out five and walked the same amount.

Western Illinois is back in action tomorrow as they take on the University of Southern Indiana in a doubleheader, with game one starting at noon.
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