West Central Reporter

The Western Illinois University (WIU) baseball team fell to Little Rock with a score of 15-7 in their recent match on Friday night. The game took place in Macomb, Illinois, where WIU initially showed promise by scoring five runs within the first three innings. However, Little Rock managed to turn the game around with seven consecutive runs, ultimately leading to their victory.

WIU's Adam Juran initiated the team's offense with a leadoff single after conceding a run in the first inning. This was followed by Cesar Franco's line drive that positioned WIU for scoring. Liam Bushey then drove Juran home with an RBI double, and Kyree Alexander contributed with a sacrifice fly bringing Franco across the plate.

In the second inning, WIU's offense slowed down as Little Rock scored additional runs, leading 4-2 by the top of the third inning. A brief resurgence occurred when J.R. Heavilin hit a double off the left field wall and Trevor Leon’s single helped narrow Little Rock’s lead to 4-3. Adam Juran continued his strong performance with a two-RBI double, giving WIU a temporary 5-4 advantage.

However, Little Rock gained momentum again in the fourth and fifth innings by scoring seven runs combined, resulting in an 11-5 lead midway through the game. Although WIU attempted to rally back with Brock Lummus scoring due to strategic base running in the fifth inning, they could not overcome Little Rock's four insurance runs added later in the game.

Several players from WIU had notable performances despite their loss. Adam Juran achieved two hits including his fourth extra-base hit over two games. Cesar Franco and Trevor Leon also secured two hits each while Chris Hege reached base three times through walks and singles.

The series between Western Illinois and Little Rock will continue tomorrow morning at 11:00 a.m., following alumni festivities starting at 10:25 a.m., where former players will be honored.