West Central Reporter

Big Inning Hurts WIU

Western Illinois dropped the opening game of a three-game set 10-3 against Southeast Missouri State on Friday afternoon at Capaha Field. What started as a pitcher's duel saw a late-inning offense in SEMO's victory.

Western Illinois started on the front foot in the first inning. J.R. Heavilin and Jake Allgeyer would go back-to-back with singles to put runners on first and second. WIU would not be able to bring them around to score. Jake Armstrong was getting outs early. Armstrong got two quick outs before Ricky Pospisil would make a diving catch for out number three.

The pitching started settling in for both teams. After a leadoff double by Kyree Alexander, SEMO retired 16 of the next 17 batters. Nick Mitchell would get the lone single in the third inning. SEMO would get the game's first run in the third inning, as a one-out walk would hurt WIU. Besides the third inning, WIU would keep SEMO scoreless until the sixth inning.

SEMO broke open the game in the bottom of the sixth as they would put a seven-running inning together. The Redhawks put together six hits together, three being extra bases. WIU would get runs on the scoreboard in the seventh. Pospisil would have a one-out double to start it off. Alexander would follow with an RBI triple to put WIU on the board. Max Slavens would then add WIU's second run on an RBI ground out, making it 8-2. SEMO would add one run in the seventh and one in the eighth. 

WIU would also get a run in the top of the eighth. Sammy Contacos would draw a leadoff walk. Nick Mitchell would then single for his second hit of the day and advance Contacos to second. Mitchell and Contacos would both advance 90 feet on an Allgeyer ground out. Contacos would score on a wild pitch to put WIU's run total up to three.

Western Illinois totaled seven hits on the afternoon. Kyree Alexander and Nick Mitchell both had two hits. Alexander had the only extra-base hits with a double and triple. Alexander and Max Slavens both had RBIs. WIU had two walks as a team.

WIU and SEMO will continue their three-game series tomorrow, with the first pitch scheduled at 2:00 p.m. 

Original source can be found here