MACOMB, Ill.- Western Illinois rallied late but came up just short in an 8-7 loss to Morehead State on Sunday afternoon. The Leathernecks erased a six-run deficit and tied the game in the eighth inning before the Eagles answered with two runs in the bottom half to secure the series victory.
Morehead State struck first in the third inning with a pair of runs on an RBI triple from Aubrey Kearns and an RBI double by Ian McCubbin. The Eagles extended the lead in the fifth when Kearns launched a two-run homer to right field, helping Morehead State build a 5-0 advantage.
WIU began its comeback in the seventh inning. Joe Connolly delivered an RBI single before Cordell Coburn ripped a two-run triple to center field to cut the deficit to 6-3. The Leathernecks continued the rally in the eighth, scoring three more runs to even the score. Connolly added another RBI single, Bushey scored on a wild pitch, and Wandel Campana tied the game with an RBI single to right.
Morehead State responded immediately in the bottom of the eighth as Davis Germann lined a two-run double down the right field line to put the Eagles back in front for good. WIU added one final run in the ninth on a wild pitch, but the tying run was left on base to end the game.
Connolly led the Leathernecks offensively, finishing 4-for-6 with two RBIs and two runs scored. Campana collected two hits and an RBI, while Coburn drove in two runs with his seventh-inning triple. Liam Bushey added two hits and scored once as WIU totaled 11 hits in the loss.
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.
