West Central Reporter

Las Cruces, N.M. - The Leatherneck Baseball team faced a challenging game against New Mexico State, ending in a 9-5 defeat on Sunday afternoon at Presley Askew Field. Despite the loss, the Leathernecks showed resilience by scoring four runs in the final two innings.

The team's offense was quiet for most of the game but came alive late. In the eighth inning, Liam Bushey drew a walk with the bases loaded to bring in a run. Krayton Morse followed with a crucial two-run single, narrowing the Aggies' lead to 8-4.

Freshman Kenneth Perez contributed significantly with a solo home run at the start of the ninth inning and finished his day 2-for-4 with an RBI. Trevor Leon also performed well offensively, going 2-for-4 and scoring once.

On the pitching side, starter Jorge Romero (0-1) pitched for 4.1 innings, allowing four earned runs and striking out three while conceding two home runs. Reliever Karsten Stotlar provided solid support from the bullpen, delivering 1.1 innings of relief with one strikeout and just one hit allowed.

Western Illinois now holds a record of 0-5 and will aim to improve as they travel to Alabama State for a three-game weekend series starting Friday, February 28th. The first pitch is set for 6 PM on Friday.

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