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Western Illinois University Athletics

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15
Winner SEMO SEMO 27-14, 14-9 OVC
11
Western Illinois WIU 13-33, 8-15 OVC
Winner
SEMO SEMO
27-14, 14-9 OVC
15
Final
11
Western Illinois WIU
13-33, 8-15 OVC
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 R H E
SEMO SEMO 0 0 4 0 0 3 1 0 2 1 4 15 14 1
Western Illinois WIU 3 0 0 0 5 0 2 0 0 1 0 11 17 3

W: Miller, Kyle (4-2) L: Dale, Cole (2-2)

Game Recap: Baseball | | WIU ATHLETIC COMMUNICATIONS

Western Takes Four-Run Loss in Eleven-Inning Thriller

Western Illinois lost 15-11 to Southeast Missouri State on Saturday, who tied the series at one.

MACOMB, IL - After taking game one on Friday, Western looked to win the series early on Saturday against Southeast Missouri State. In an offensive showdown that saw a season-high 26 runs at Alfred D. Boyer Stadium, the Redhawks emerged victorious as they tied up the series at one apiece. 

Western Illinois had the best start they could ask for, as senior pitcher Tyler Kapraun struck out the side in the first. After Adam Juran singled on a hard-hit ball to left center, Cesar Franco crushed a ball to dead center to give Western a two-nothing lead. J.R. Heavilin followed Franco with a bomb of his own, smashing a towering shot over the left-field wall before the Leathernecks put an out on the scoreboard. 

Western kept their three-run lead until the third when SEMO struck with a four-spot in the frame. Looking to battle back in the bottom of the third, Heavilin and Brock Lummus singled to give the Leathernecks a runner in scoring position, but could not capitalize on the opportunity. 

Juran hit a double in the fourth, his second hit of the game, but the score stayed at four-three entering the fifth. Western tied it up in inning number five with a pair of doubles from Heavilin and second baseman Chris Hege. After a pair of walks loaded the bases, Adam Juran stepped up to the plate with two outs and crushed one over the wall in deep left-center, breaking the tie and giving WIU an eight-to-four lead. 

A pair of homers from SEMO in the sixth cut the Leatherneck lead to one, and the Redhawks tied things up in the seventh on an RBI single. 

With two outs in the bottom of the seventh, Max Slavens and Trevor Leon got into scoring position via a wild pitch. Juran capitalized with a single lined into center that scored both runners, giving Western a two-run lead on another big two-out swing from the senior. 

In the ninth, with the Leathernecks still leading by a pair, the Redhawks got two runners on with no outs to start. A sacrifice bunt moved both runners into scoring position and a following single tied the game at ten. Western could not walk it off in the ninth, giving the fans bonus baseball in Macomb. 

The Redhawks took a one-run lead into the bottom of the tenth, but Cesar Franco had other ideas as he ripped a ball down the right-field line and over the wall for his second homer of the game. The game-tying shot brought Franco to eleven home runs on the year, which leads all Leathernecks. Western had a great chance to walk it off in the tenth with runners on first, second, and none out. However, three straight unproductive outs moved the game to the eleventh. 

Southeast Missouri State put up a four-spot in the eleventh, and the Leatherneck bats ran out of juice despite Juran picking up his fifth hit of the day. 15-11 marked the final score in a four-hour, eleven-inning affair, setting up a rubber match for tomorrow. 

Sunday's home finale against the Redhawks will start at noon, as Western looks for a crucial series victory. 
 
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