West Central Reporter

WIU Baseball secured a third consecutive victory with a 5-2 win over the SIUE Cougars in Edwardsville, Illinois, on Friday night. Max Tripure and Jorge Romero led the pitching effort for the Leathernecks, combining to allow only five hits and strike out six batters. Tripure pitched the first five innings, giving up one run on two hits while striking out four, earning his fourth win of the season. Romero pitched the rest, allowing one run on three hits and striking out two, marking his third save of the season.

The Leathernecks scored first and maintained their lead throughout the game. Matt Olive and Tyler Large each walked at the start of the second inning, which Kyree Alexander capped off with a two-out RBI double, making it 1-0. In the third inning, Krayton Morse and Paul Osting each singled, and Olive's subsequent single to center field scored Morse, bringing the score to 2-0. Tyler Large later reached on a fielder's choice, allowing Osting to score and pushing the score to 3-0. A sacrifice fly from Osting in the fourth inning brought in Cordell Coburn, who had been hit by a pitch, to further the lead to 4-0.

SIUE managed to score in the bottom of the fifth, but the Leathernecks quickly retaliated in the top of the sixth. Alexander walked and stole both second and third base before scoring on a throwing error by the SIUE catcher. SIUE added one more run in the bottom of the ninth when the Leathernecks attempted a game-ending double play, but the runner was ruled safe at first.

The win improved WIU's record in the OVC to 7-12 with eight conference games left. This victory also halted SIUE's five-game winning streak following their road sweep over Little Rock. The series continues with the second game tomorrow at 2 p.m.

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