After a quiet start, the Leathernecks' bats came alive in the later innings. WIU struck first with a run in the second thanks to a Matt Olive sacrifice fly that scored Tyler Large. They added two more in the third to take an early 3-0 lead on a Liam Bushey single followed by Large grounding into a double play that scored Krayton Morse. But it was the final two frames where the Leathernecks really flexed their muscle, exploding for three runs in the seventh and a staggering six-run eighth to put the game out of reach.

Tyler Large had a huge night, going 3-for-4 with a double, two triples, and two RBI, while Krayton Morse was a spark at the top of the lineup, scoring three runs and collecting three hits. Matt Olive added one hit and two RBI and both Liam Bushey and Kenneth Perez chipped in with multi-hit performances.

Junior right-hander Max Tripure turned in a strong start, tossing 6.2 innings of one-run ball while allowing just five hits. He struck out three and walked two to pick up the win. The bullpen locked things down from there, with Jackson Rodgers and Alex Esker combining for 1.1 scoreless innings to seal the deal.

With the dominant win, WIU picked up its first victory of the season and will look to build on the momentum in their next matchup. Game two against Alabama State will be Saturday night with first pitch at 6 p.m.