West Central Reporter

Western Illinois University's baseball team secured two victories in a doubleheader against Lindenwood Lions, improving their record to 10 wins overall and 6-11 in the Ohio Valley Conference.

In the first game, Western Illinois took an early lead in the third inning with Cesar Franco's two-run double. Lindenwood narrowed the gap with a run in the fifth inning, but Western Illinois extended their lead further. Liam Bushey scored on J.R. Heavilin's hit, and Max Slavens brought Brock Lummus home with an RBI single in the seventh inning. Franco sealed the game with a three-run homer in the ninth, securing a 7-1 win for Western Illinois. Jason Buhl pitched a complete game, striking out five batters.

The second game was more competitive until Western Illinois broke through in the fourth inning. Cesar Franco advanced after being hit by a pitch and later scored on Heavilin's RBI single. The Leathernecks added another run in the eighth when Trevor Leon drove Kyree Alexander home with a sacrifice fly, finalizing their 2-0 victory. Tyler Kapruan started strong for WIU, pitching seven innings and recording six strikeouts before handing over to Caden Kratz for a six-out save.

J.R. Heavilin led WIU offensively with four hits across both games, while Cesar Franco contributed significantly with five RBIs from his two hits.

The series concludes tomorrow as Western Illinois aims for a sweep against Lindenwood at 1:00 p.m.