WEDNESDAY'S SCORES
@Western Illinois 9, Bradley 6
WESTERN ILLINOIS 9, BRADLEY 6
MACOMB, Ill. - Western Illinois picked up their second straight win on Wednesday afternoon defeating the Bradley Braves by a score of 9-6. The Leathernecks would use a strong fifth inning to secure the win as they would score four runs to increase their lead over the Braves.
Bradley would start off the scoring by putting up one run in the top of the first and second innings to grab an early 2-0 lead. WIU would respond in the bottom half of the second inning plating two runs to tie the game. Tyler Large led off the second inning with a walk and advanced to second on a Kenneth Perez single up the middle. Kyree Alexander would walk with two runners on later in the inning to load the bases for Cordell Coburn, who would reach base on a fielder's choice and picked up an RBI as Large would score on the play after Bradley tried to turn a double play. Liam Bushey would then pick up an RBI single as Alexander would score from second to even the score at two a piece. In the bottom of the third, WIU would take the lead for the first time in the game as Kenneth Perez would get an RBI double scoring Tyler Large.
In the bottom of the fifth, the Leathernecks would open up the game. Two walks and a single from Matt Olive would load the bases for Brock Lummus. Lummus would then send a 2-0 pitch over the center field fence for a grand slam to put the Leathernecks on top by a score of 7-2. The Leathernecks would go up by as much as six in the contest as Olive would get an RBI SAC fly in the bottom of the sixth inning to add on to the lead making it 8-2.
Harrison Dubois had another good mid week outing for WIU, throwing 5.1 innings and allowing four hits and two runs while striking out two. Bradley wouldn't go away quietly as they would score two runs in the top of the seventh and one run in the top of the eighth to cut the Leatherneck lead in half at 8-5. With no outs in the top of the eighth, Billy Humphrey would enter the game with two runners on base and the tying run on deck. Humphrey would slam the door shut on the Braves offense like he has done to every team he has faced lately, retiring the only two batters he saw by getting a ground ball that turned into a double play and getting a line out to second to end the Bradley threat.
Paul Osting would add an insurance run in the bottom of the eighth as he hit a no doubt solo home run to right field for his second home run of the season to put the Leathernecks up 9-5. Bradley would add one run in the top of the ninth after collecting two singles in the first three batters of the inning, but Eric Rawlings would get the job done to help secure the win for WIU.