TUESDAY'S SCORES
@Western Illinois 4. Kansas City 3
WESTERN ILLINOIS 4, KANSAS CITY 3
MACOMB, Ill. - Western Illinois took on Kansas City in a rematch against Kansas City on Tuesday, after the Roos won the previous matchup 2-0 back in March. The Leathernecks were able to flip the script today in Macomb, snapping an eleven-game losing streak in a 4-3 victory that saw the Leathernecks take a late lead in the sixth.
Emily Price, the Leatherneck starter who's been one of the top arms in the conference, started hot against the Roos with back-to-back strikeouts to start things off. Western carried the senior's momentum into the bottom of the first, as Malia Robertson led off with an infield single, then stole her eighteenth base of the year to give the Leathernecks a runner in scoring position. Robertson scored on a two-out single from Valerie Combs, giving the Leathernecks an early lead.
Price got out of the second after two baserunners got on by a single and error. The senior would face some trouble in the third, allowing a lead-off single. After the runner got to third with one out, Kansas City attempted to squeeze home the runner on a bunt, but the ball was perfectly placed and escaped the hands of Price and first baseman Bella Alvarez. The runner ended up on second base on the bunt, which the Roos scored on and tied the game. Kansas City then took the lead on an error, making it a 2-1 ballgame entering the bottom of the third.
The Roos added another run in the fourth, making it a two-run game. Western looked to strike back in the bottom of the frame, and Alvarez and Combs both reached safely to give the Leathernecks two baserunners to start the inning. Gabriela Drager stepped up to the plate in a pinch-hit situation, and she advanced all runners with a single that dropped into right. Beth Pavy smacked a ground ball down the left field line that just stayed fair, and brought home a pair of runners to tie the game.
Entering the fifth tied at three, Emily Price took care of business by allowing just one baserunner in the fifth and sixth combined. To lead off the bottom of the sixth, Combs took a ball deep to the left field fence, stopping at second for a leadoff double. Combs advanced to third on a groundout, and with one out, Sophia Sanchez drove a flyout into left, which Combs tagged up and scored on to take a one-run lead.
Price handled the first two batters in the seventh by coaxing a pair of groundouts, and after allowing a single, struck out the final batter of the game, slamming the door as the Leathernecks took home a 4-3 victory over the Roos.