Western Illinois splits games for day 2 at The Dome Tournament

Western Illinois earned a hard-fought split in their doubleheader at The Dome in Rosemont, Illinois, on February 9, 2025, defeating Butler in the opener before falling to DePaul in extra innings.

In the first game, Western Illinois secured a 5-4 victory over Butler with a strong offensive showing and clutch pitching. The Leathernecks scored three key runs in the fifth inning to take control of the game, capitalizing on timely hits and Butler's defensive miscues. Butler responded with a run in the sixth, but Western Illinois held firm to close out the win. The Leathernecks' pitching staff worked around 12 Butler hits, stranding 10 runners. Payton Brown's clutch home run in the bottom of the 7th was key to the Leathernecks successful win over Butler. 

In the second game, Western Illinois faced DePaul in a tightly contested battle but fell 3-2 in eight innings. The Leathernecks managed just five hits, scratching across runs in the fourth and eighth innings. DePaul delivered the decisive blow in the bottom of the eighth, walking off with the win. Western Illinois' pitchers battled through 7.2 innings, giving up eight hits but allowing just one earned run.

With the split, Western Illinois moved to 2-2 on the season. They will look to build on their early-season performance in their upcoming games.