By Emma Hicken, Leatherneck Athletic Communications
 

MACOMB, Ill.- Western Illinois baseball battled throughout a four-game road series at VMI but ultimately came up short in each contest, falling 7-8 and 7-10 in Friday's doubleheader before dropping a 6-16 decision on Saturday and a 8-9 loss in Sunday's finale. The Leathernecks produced consistent offense across the weekend, totaling 40 hits and scoring at least six runs in three of the four games, but late rallies from the Keydets proved decisive as VMI completed the series sweep at Gray-Minor Stadium.

GAME 1
Western Illinois jumped out to an early lead but was unable to hold off a late push from VMI, falling 7-8 in the opening game of Friday's doubleheader at Gray-Minor Stadium. The Leathernecks plated four runs in the second inning and finished with 12 hits, highlighted by a 4-for-5 performance from Wandel Campana and a game-tying two-run home run from Joe Connolly in the eighth. VMI responded with power of its own, including a solo homer from Grayson Fitzwater in the bottom of the eighth after Bradley Garner's four-run blast in the sixth erased WIU's early advantage. Despite rallying to tie the game late, Western Illinois could not push across the tying run in the ninth as the Keydets held on for the one-run victory.

GAME 2
Western Illinois again built an early lead but could not slow a late VMI rally, falling 7-10 in the second game of Friday's doubleheader. The Leathernecks scored seven runs in the first three innings, highlighted by a home run from Krayton Morse in the third that pushed WIU ahead 7–2. VMI chipped away with a pair of home runs in the fifth inning to cut the deficit to one before tying the game in the seventh. The Keydets completed the comeback later in the inning when Seth Buchanan launched a three-run homer to give VMI the lead for good, while WIU was held scoreless over the final four innings.

GAME 3
Western Illinois collected 11 hits but could not overcome an early deficit and late offensive surge by VMI, falling 6-16 on Saturday. The Keydets scored four runs in the first inning and added three more in the second to seize early momentum. WIU responded with runs in four different innings, including a two-run home run from Liam Bushey in the third and a two-run shot from Josh McClintock in the fourth to trim the deficit to 5-7. The Leathernecks added another run in the sixth to pull within one, but VMI broke the game open with a five-run seventh inning and three additional runs in the eighth to secure the victory.

GAME 4
Western Illinois held a late lead but VMI rallied in the final inning, causing the Leathernecks to fall 8-9. The Leathernecks built a 7–0 advantage through six innings behind RBIs from Liam Bushey, Wandel Campana, and Krayton Morse. Cordell Coburn added a solo home run in the eighth to extend the lead to 8–5. VMI mounted its comeback with four runs in the seventh before scoring four more in the eighth, capped by an RBI triple from Cole Cook that gave the Keydets the lead. Western Illinois finished with 12 hits but was unable to respond in the ninth as VMI completed the comeback.

The Leathernecks will continue their road trip by going to Champaign to face Illinois before coming home to host Illinois State. 

FOLLOW THE LEATHERNECKS

For all the latest information on Leatherneck Baseball, please visit GoLeathernecks.com. For up-to-the-minute updates, follow the Leathernecks on X (formerly Twitter), Instagram, and Facebook.