West Central Reporter

Western Illinois University's baseball team secured their first Ohio Valley Conference series win of the 2025 season over the weekend against UT Martin. The Leathernecks took the Sunday game of the three-game series with a 14-9 victory, marking an offensive effort with 18 hits.

In the initial inning, Western Illinois quickly filled the bases. Liam Bushey's lead-off single was followed by a Krayton Morse double, positioning players on base. Paul Osting's walk and a hit by pitch to Tyler Large scored the first run. Matt Olive then contributed with an RBI single, establishing a 2-0 lead. The climax of their opening inning was Kenneth Perez's grand slam, elevating the score to 6-0. The team further extended the lead to 10-1 by the second inning with Olive achieving his own grand slam.

By the third inning, the Leathernecks were ahead 11-1, following a Krayton Morse RBI single. Although their offense paused for a few innings, UT Martin managed to narrow the gap to 11-6 by scoring five runs in the sixth inning. However, the Leathernecks responded, widening the lead to 13-6 in the seventh inning, aided by contributions from Justin Bogard, Liam Bushey, and a sacrifice fly from Tyler Large.

UT Martin continued their efforts, adding three more runs across the seventh and eighth innings but were unable to score in the ninth, sealing the series win for Western Illinois. Liam Bushey, Krayton Morse, and Kenneth Perez each recorded three hits in the game. Matt Olive excelled with four hits, five RBIs, and a grand slam.

The win on Sunday involved six different Leatherneck pitchers. Jackson Rodgers earned his first win of the season by pitching three scoreless innings, allowing only one hit. Jorge Romero was pivotal as well, securing his second save in consecutive days, allowing three runs on eight hits in four innings.

Western Illinois looks to carry this momentum into their upcoming midweek home game against St. Ambrose, scheduled for Tuesday at 2 p.m.