Who | Western Illinois vs SIUE
When | Friday, May 1, 3:30 P.M | Saturday, May 2, 12:00 P.M | Saturday, May 2, 2:30 P.M                                                                                                                                                                           Where | Cougar Field | Edwardsville, IL

MACOMB, IL - Western Illinois travels to Edwardsville to face SIUE in its final OVC regular-season series of the year.

The Leathernecks (13–29, 8–15 OVC) are coming off a series-ending win over Lindenwood, while SIUE (25–25, 16–8 OVC) enters after dropping its most recent nonconference matchup against SIU.The last time these two faced off was last April that saw the Cougars take the series 2-1 with Western winning the final game of the series 2-0.

Western Illinois currently sits eighth in the OVC, while SIUE holds third place in the conference standings. The Leathernecks enter the series with a chance to clinch an OVC Tournament berth for the first time in program history, which would also mark their first postseason appearance since 2019.

The Leatherneck bats came alive in their most recent matchup against Lindenwood, powering an 11–3 victory over the Lions. Payton Brown led the way with three RBIs, while Maria Luna and Rylee German each added two. Hannah Simpson was a perfect 2-for-2 at the plate, and Libby Spaulding earned the win in the circle, improving to eight victories on the season.

SIUE was run-ruled by Southern Illinois 10–1 in its last matchup, which ended in five innings. The Salukis broke open a close game with a four-run third inning and a six-run fourth to pull away. Gretchen Trello scored the lone run for the Cougars, who were limited to just two hits on the night.

SIUE is led offensively by Raegan Duncan, who is batting .308 with 21 RBIs, while Abby Harvell is hitting .289 with 21 RBIs and Ashley Duran is batting .282 with a team-high 25 RBIs. Gretchen Trello has been one of the most efficient hitters in limited action, leading the team with a .339 average and a .915 OPS while adding 14 RBIs.

Key Stats to Know for Western

• Western Illinois is 4th in the OVC in batting average at .291.

• Payton Brown leads the OVC in slugging percentage at .717 and is 2nd in the conference in runs scored.

• Ruby Tarr is 8th in the OVC in RBIs with 31 on the season.

• Libby Spaulding is tied for 6th in the OVC in wins totaling 8 on the season and 6th in strikeouts with 70.

Key Stats to Know for SIUE

• Abby Harvell is 1st in the OVC in doubles with 14.

• Avery Arwood is 6th in the OVC in ERA with a 3.51 and 4th in strikeouts with 84.

• Juztyne Torres is tied for 6th in the OVC in runs scored with 33. 

FOLLOW THE LEATHERNECKS 

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