MACOMB, IL – After a pair of tough losses on Saturday, Western Illinois looked to bounce back in the series finale vs. Tennessee Tech on Sunday. The Leatherneck bats stepped up to the task, scoring 11 runs on 14 hits.
Sunday’s game started with a lot of offense, as Tennessee Tech jumped out to a 4-0 lead in the first inning, putting the Leathernecks in an early hole. Western answered back in an instant, as Valerie Combs led off with a double, then Rylee Boone singled and Malia Robertson walked to load the bases. Senior Bella Alvarez came through with a bases-clearing double, reducing the lead to one before the Leathernecks recorded an out. Megan Leonard then took the lead as she knocked in two more runs with a single, ending the inning with a score of 5-4.
The Golden Eagles tied it up at five in the second inning, but Western starter Lillie Wools took care of business in the third with a 1-2-3 inning and a pair of strikeouts.
The Leathernecks then exploded again in the bottom of the third, taking a four-run lead on five hits, including doubles from Beth Pavy and Malia Robertson. Three Western players stole a base in the frame as well, as Boone, Leonard, and Wools all swiped a bag.
Tech got one run back in the fourth inning to reduce the lead to three, and the 6-9 score held for a frame. A two-out single from Robertson in the fifth helped to spark another offensive run, as Robertson then stole second. Alvarez reached on an error, which scored Robertson before Maria Luna hit a double to bring the Leatherneck lead to five.
Emily Price came in relief for Wools in the sixth, and she closed the game allowing three hits in two innings while striking out one.
Lillie Wools got her third win of the season, as she struck out five in five innings while only allowing one walk. Five different Leathernecks finished with multiple hits, as Boone led the way going 3-4 with two stolen bases. Robertson, Pavy, Wools, and Leonard all finished with two hits. Leonard recorded a team-high three RBIs, tied with Bella Alvarez who did so on her lone double.
Looking at the week ahead, the Leathernecks head to Des Moines for a single game against Drake on Tuesday, before resuming conference play on Saturday and Sunday at Eastern Illinois.
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