Western Illinois Splits Opening Day at The Dome
ROSEMONT, Ill. – Western Illinois softball opened their season with a strong showing at The Dome, splitting their two games on February 8, 2025. The Leathernecks secured a late-game victory against Detroit Mercy, 8-6, but fell to Green Bay in a tightly contested matchup, 5-3.
In the morning game, WIU battled Detroit Mercy in a back-and-forth contest. The Leathernecks took an early 1-0 lead in the second inning before adding another run in the fifth. The offense erupted in the final two innings, plating two runs in the sixth and four in the seventh to secure the win. Payton Brown led the charge, going 3-for-4 with a double, a stolen base, and an RBI. Maria Luna delivered a clutch triple, driving in three runs. Pitcher Kaitlyn Green earned the save after closing out the seventh inning.
In the afternoon matchup, Western Illinois struggled to find timely hits against Green Bay's pitching. The Phoenix took an early lead and held WIU's offense in check. The Leathernecks managed to push across three runs, but a three-run seventh inning from Green Bay sealed the 5-3 defeat. Despite the loss, WIU saw strong performances from Malia Robertson, who reached base twice and stole two bases, and Ruby Tarr, who contributed two hits and an RBI.
Western Illinois (1-1) will look to build on their season-opening performance as they continue tournament play.
