West Central Reporter

Western Illinois University's baseball team faced a tough defeat against Saint Louis in the final game of their three-game series. The Leathernecks fell 8-5, bringing their overall record to 1-5.

The game began with strong defensive performances from both teams, as the first two innings saw no runs scored. Chris Hege broke the initial streak by drawing a walk for WIU. In the third inning, Saint Louis managed to score a run, but Western Illinois responded in the bottom half. Trevor Leon initiated the offense with a single and advanced through subsequent plays. Liam Bushey's RBI single tied the game at 1-1, followed by J.R. Heavilin's infield single that brought Maxton Polad home, giving WIU a 2-1 lead.

Tyler Kapraun effectively held back Saint Louis's offense over the next two innings. In support of their pitcher, WIU added more runs in the fourth and fifth innings. Kyree Alexander was hit by a pitch to load the bases alongside Jackson Horn and Polad. Bushey contributed with an RBI ground out that increased WIU's lead to 4-1. Brock Lummus started his first game with a solo home run in the fifth inning, extending WIU's advantage to 5-1.

However, Saint Louis rallied back with seven unanswered runs, securing an 8-5 victory over Western Illinois.

Kapraun delivered a strong performance on the mound for WIU, pitching six innings while allowing four hits and three runs and striking out four batters. Both Maxton Polad and Brock Lummus achieved multi-hit games with two hits each. Liam Bushey led WIU's offense with two RBIs.