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Western Illinois University Athletics

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9
Winner Southern Indiana USI 21-19, 15-10 OVC
1
Western Illinois WIU 15-33, 4-21 OVC
Winner
Southern Indiana USI
21-19, 15-10 OVC
9
Final
1
Western Illinois WIU
15-33, 4-21 OVC
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 5 R H E
Southern Indiana USI 0 2 0 7 0 9 12 1
Western Illinois WIU 0 1 0 0 0 1 3 1

W: Newman, Josie (18-8) L: Wools, Lillie (3-11)

3
Southern Indiana USI 21-20, 15-11 OVC
6
Winner Western Illinois WIU 16-33, 5-21 OVC
Southern Indiana USI
21-20, 15-11 OVC
3
Final
6
Western Illinois WIU
16-33, 5-21 OVC
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 R H E
Southern Indiana USI 0 0 0 1 0 0 2 3 8 1
Western Illinois WIU 0 1 4 1 0 0 X 6 9 1

W: Price, Emily (9-18) L: Gibson, Raegan (1-4)

Game Recap: Softball | | WIU ATHLETIC COMMUNICATIONS

Western Splits Series Opening Doubleheader with Screaming Eagles

WIU lost 9-1 in game one before bouncing back with a 6-3 game two victory.

MACOMB, IL - Western entered the final weekend of the season on Saturday, looking to take down a fourth-place Southern Indiana squad highlighted by the conference's top arm. Josie Newman, the OVC's leader in strikeouts, pitched five innings of one-run ball as the Screaming Eagles took game one. The Leathernecks bounced back in game two, highlighted by a third inning where the Leathernecks scored four runs with two outs.

Western Illinois starter Lillie Wools started off the day allowing a double in the first but struck out the final batter of the frame to keep USI off the board early. Southern Indiana catcher Sammie Kihega hit a towering shot to left field to open up the scoring in the second frame, and they'd increase their lead to two on an RBI single. 

Valerie Combs, the freshman backstop who had a big day on Tuesday against Kansas City, stayed hot by belting a double that bounced off the left field wall to start the bottom of the second for the Leathernecks. A two-out single from fellow freshman Sophia Sanchez brought home Combs, reducing the Screaming Eagle lead to one. 

After Wools stranded two runners in the third, Western got a pair of baserunners in the bottom half of the frame, including a single and stolen base from Malia Robertson. The Leathernecks could not tie though, bringing the game to the fourth. 

In the fourth, the game started to slip away from Western, as USI outfielder Kennedy Nalley hit a solo home run to bring their lead back to two. Four singles, two walks, and a hit by pitch later, the Screaming Eagle lead ballooned to eight, where it stayed for the rest of the game. Megan Leonard reached on an error in the fourth, but no other Leathernecks reached base safely in the game as USI took the series opener, 9-1 in five innings. 

Western looked to flip the script in game two, as Leatherneck senior Emily Price got the start in the circle. Price allowed a hit in the first but also struck out a batter, doing the same in the second frame as Robertson made a spectacular catch to keep the game tied. Combs drew a leadoff walk, then got all the way to third on a sacrifice bunt from Sanchez. She scored on a groundout to take the lead, ending the second with Western in front by a single run. 

After a pair of outs to start the bottom of the third, a single from Robertson invoked a two-out rally that saw six more batters come up to the plate following her hit. A single from Rylee Boone moved Robertson to second, then senior Bella Alvarez singled to bring home the second run of the game. Combs hit another single for the Leathernecks, but this one cleared the bases as an errant throw from the Screaming Eagle first baseman moved Combs to third. Sanchez hit the Leathernecks' fifth straight single, which scored Combs and increased the lead to five. 

Southern Indiana added a fourth-inning run, but the Western bats stayed hot as Gabriela Drager and Beth Pavy singled, with Drager scoring on a hit from Rylee Boone.

Emily Price handled her business until the top of the seventh when three hits in a late two-out rally cut the lead to three. A foul popup to Combs ended the game with the Leathernecks grabbing their fifth conference victory of the season. 

Western will look to win their first OVC series Sunday at noon on Senior Day. The Leathernecks will honor six seniors, Kayla DePoorter, Gabriela Drager, Jorja Hudson, Abrianna Gracia, Bella Alvarez, and Emily Price at 11:10 AM.
 
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