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Western Illinois University Athletics

GRea
Bradley Motton
5
North Dakota State NDSU 19-12, 3-1 Summit
6
Winner Western Illinois WIU 7-19, 1-0 Summit
North Dakota State NDSU
19-12, 3-1 Summit
5
Final
6
Western Illinois WIU
7-19, 1-0 Summit
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 R H E
North Dakota State NDSU 3 0 1 0 0 1 0 0 5 7 2
Western Illinois WIU 2 2 1 0 0 0 0 1 6 9 1

W: Rodriguez, Savannah (4-7) L: Reed (1-2)

Game Recap: Softball | | WIU Athletic Communications

Hull Hits Walk-Off in Victory Over NDSU

Leathernecks defeat North Dakota State, 6-5, in the home opener.

MACOMB, Ill. – Western Illinois softball hosted North Dakota State at Mary Ellen McKee Stadium on Saturday (April 1), defeating the Bison 6-5 in extra innings. Saturday's game marked the team's first competition in nearly three weeks after the previous six games were either canceled or postponed, and gives Western a 1-0 record against Summit League opponents.
 
"It was so fun to finally play at home in front of a great crowd, and our team fed off the energy," head coach Alisa Goler said. "NDSU is a great program and we competed hard today. Our defense was solid and our pitching kept the game tight, while our offense had a lot of different people step up at big moments."
 
There was no shortage of early excitement as both teams put up first-inning runs. North Dakota State opened things up with three in the top of the first but Western Illinois quickly responded. With two outs, Maria Luna singled through the left side and Savannah Rodriguez promptly doubled to right center, putting runners in scoring position for Georgia Rea, who drove a ball right down the left field line to score both Luna and Rodriguez. After one inning, the Bison held a one-run advantage.
 
The one-run game didn't last for long, as the second inning saw Bella Alvarez drive in two with a two-run homer to left-center field, turning a 2-3 deficit into a 4-3 advantage. NDSU singled in the next inning to level the game but Western responded once more off the bat of Rea, who homered to center field to put the team back ahead, 5-4, after three.
 
Both offenses cooled off and this game turned into a pitching duel, as Emily Price settled in and went to battle against an NDSU relief pitcher. The Bison would find a run in the sixth inning on a fielder's choice to tie the game at six, setting the stage for an exciting finish.
 
North Dakota State was just 60 feet from a lead with one out in the seventh, but Rodriguez, who came on to pitch to start the inning, struck out back-to-back Bison batters to keep the game level before adding one more strikeout in the eighth to keep the game tied.
 
Western jumped on the NDSU pitching early in the bottom half of the inning, as Rea singled through the left side before Kaylee Ketcherside got on after hitting a ground ball was misplayed by the NDSU shortstop. Like she has multiple times this season, Cynthia Hull came on as a pinch hitter and delivered the fatal blow, hitting a 2-1 pitch into left field to secure a 6-5 victory.
 
"I was so proud of Cy for staying ready all game until she had her chance," Goler said. "I always say that pinch hitting is the hardest thing in softball and she's truly something special to watch in that role."
 
Rea finished 3-4 with a home run and set a new career-high for RBI in a single game, driving in three of Western Illinois' six runs while scoring twice. Bella Alvarez's home run was her lone hit as she went 1-3 at the plate, and Maria Luna also finished with one hit while finishing a perfect 11-11 in the field with several big-time stops at first base. Savannah Rodriguez (1-4, one run scored) along with Piper Foote (1-2), Gabriela Drager (1-4, one run scored) and Hull (1-1) also contributed to the team's nine hits while Alvarez and Rylee Boone walked.
 
Emily Price started in the circle for Western Illinois and struck out two across six innings of work, allowing seven hits and five runs across 26 batters faced. Rodriguez, credited with her fourth win of the season, came on to pitch the final two innings and finished with a line of no hits, no runs, two walks and three strikeouts.
 
Saturday's game was Western's first against a Summit League in the 2023 season and extended the team's streak to three-consecutive years with a win on the opening day of league play. Alvarez remains among the league's top hitters, ranking among the league's top-10 for batting average (.324, 9th), OPS (.969, 5th), home runs (four, t-4th) and slugging percentage (.592 – 5th), while the WIU offense put up five runs in three innings against an NDSU pitcher who currently ranks second in the league with a 1.91 ERA. 
 
The Leathernecks and Bison will face off in a doubleheader on Sunday (April 2), playing at 10 a.m. and 12:30 p.m.
 
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