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Western Illinois University Athletics

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11
Western Illinois WIU 7-25
12
Winner Southern Illinois SIU 21-16
Western Illinois WIU
7-25
11
Final
12
Southern Illinois SIU
21-16
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 R H E
Western Illinois WIU 8 0 0 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 11 18 3
Southern Illinois SIU 0 1 0 6 0 1 3 0 0 0 0 1 12 20 1

W: Easton Dermody (3-1) L: Cunning, Eric (0-1)

Game Recap: Baseball | | WIU Athletic Communications

WIU Falls in 12 inning Marathon

MACOMB, IL – An eight-run first inning was not enough for the Western Illinois baseball team as they fell to Southern Illinois 12-11 in 12 innings on Wednesday night. WIU falls to 7-25 overall on the season.

Western Illinois Wednesday night could not have had a better start. Back-to-back home runs by Liam Bushey and Cesar Franco catapulted an eight-run first inning for the Leathernecks. Adam Juran kept the first inning moving with a single through the left side as WIU saw their first three batters reach base. After a flyout, Kyree Alexander had the Leatherneck's fourth hit of the inning with a single down the left-field line. Alexander and Juran both moved up 90 feet on a wild pitch, and Chris Hege cleared the bases with a two-run single as WIU doubled their lead to lead 4-0. With Hege on first base, WIU was not done scoring. Walks to Brock Lummus and Jackson Horn loaded the bases as the lineup flipped back to the top of the order. Ahead in the count 2-0, Liam Bushey went deep for the second time in the inning, bringing in four RBIs on his first grand slam as a Leathernecks. Bushey had five of the eight RBIs in the first inning as WIU led 8-0 after one.

After SIU got a run back at the bottom of the second, the Leathernecks increased their lead in the fourth. Two walks started the inning, giving J.R. Heavilin a chance to drive some runs. Heavilin did just that as he drove a ball into left field and gave WIU a ten-run lead at 11-1. Southern Illinois chipped away at the Western Illinois ten-run lead as they scored six in the bottom of the 4th, one in the 6th, and three in the 7th, tying the game at 11 heading into the 8th inning. 

Caden Kratz and Eric Cunning held down the fort for WIU pitching staff in the 8th through 11th innings keeping the Salukies bats quiet. Heading into the 11th inning, Western Illinois poised their best chance at scoring the go-ahead run. J.R. Heavilin singled to start the top of the 11th after being subbed out for pinch runner Owen Sullivan. Sullivan moved up to second on a one-out single from Hege. Sullivan found himself 90 feet away from home on a Brock Lummus flyout but would be left stranded at third base.

SIU capitalized with runners in scoring position in the 12th inning as they plated one, taking the 12-11 12-inning marathon.

Liam Bushey was productive in the leadoff spot, going 5-7 and a triple away from the cycle. Bushey finished with two home runs, a double, and a pair of singles with five RBIs on the night. Chris Hege and Kyree Alexander both had three hits on the night. Hege had two RBIs. Cesar Franco reached base three times with a hit and two walks. The Leathernecks, as a team, had 18 hits and five walks.

Western Illinois returns to action on Friday as they welcome SIUE to Alfred D. Boyer Stadium for a three-game series.
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