West Central Reporter

The Western Illinois Leatherneck Baseball team secured their second consecutive series win of the season by defeating Murray State 3-1 on Sunday. This marks the first time since 2019 that the Leathernecks have won back-to-back three-game road series. The previous occasion was when they achieved victories against Oral Roberts and Purdue Fort Wayne in May 2019.

Redshirt Senior Frederick Romano played a pivotal role for the Leathernecks, pitching six innings while conceding only one run on four hits. He also struck out four batters and issued two walks, effectively containing Murray State's offense. Karsten Stotlar took over in the seventh inning, maintaining a strong performance with three scoreless innings to secure his second save of the season. Stotlar allowed just one hit and struck out one batter to close out the game against the Racers.

Offensively, the Leathernecks capitalized on timely hitting, scoring single runs in the third, seventh, and ninth innings. Wandel Campana initiated the offense in the third inning with a single to center field. Following this, Krayton Morse walked, and Liam Bushey was hit by a pitch to load the bases for Tyler Large, who then walked to give WIU an early 1-0 lead.

Murray State managed to tie the game at one apiece in the sixth inning. However, Trevor Leon responded with a crucial RBI double in the seventh inning, allowing Justin Bogard to score and giving WIU a 2-1 lead. Paul Osting further solidified their victory with an RBI single in the ninth inning.

Looking ahead, the Leathernecks aim to continue their momentum as they travel to Illinois for their next game scheduled for Tuesday at 6 PM.

For more information on Leatherneck Baseball, visit GoLeathernecks.com or follow them on social media platforms X (formerly Twitter), Instagram, and Facebook.