West Central Reporter

WIU Baseball secured a 5-3 victory over Murray State on Saturday afternoon, overcoming an early deficit. The Leathernecks were propelled by Liam Bushey's strong performance at the plate and solid pitching from Jason Buhl and Karsten Stotlar.

Murray State started the game with three runs in the first inning. However, Buhl managed to stabilize his team's defense, pitching six innings with eight hits and three earned runs across 104 pitches.

Western Illinois responded with five unanswered runs, maintaining a shutout against Murray State for the remainder of the game. In the fourth inning, Justin Bogard's sacrifice fly allowed Liam Bushey to score from third base. This was followed by Trevor Leon's RBI single, narrowing Murray State's lead to 3-2.

The Leathernecks tied the game in the fifth inning when Bushey hit an RBI single that brought Paul Osting home. Bushey played a key role offensively, finishing 4-for-5 with two RBIs.

In the seventh inning, Kyree Alexander's RBI single scored Tyler Large, giving WIU a lead they would extend in the eighth inning with another RBI single from Bushey.

Karsten Stotlar took control on the mound in the seventh inning and delivered 2.1 scoreless innings. He allowed just one hit and struck out one batter to secure his save.

This win advances WIU to a season record of 3-7 as they prepare for their series finale against Murray State scheduled for Sunday at 1 PM.

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