Western Illinois University Leathernecks Women’s Softball will travel to St. Charles, Missouri, to compete in the Lindenwood Invite at the Lou Brock Sports Complex. The team is scheduled to play against Indiana State and Valparaiso on Saturday, February 28, with games set for 11:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m.
The Leathernecks enter the tournament with a season record of 5-9. Last year at the same event, they finished with one win and three losses, defeating Valparaiso in their only victory. This weekend provides an opportunity for Western Illinois to gain experience against non-conference teams.
In their previous outing at the Bellarmine Round Robin in Louisville, Western Illinois posted two wins and two losses. They opened with a 17-3 win over Bellarmine and followed up with a 5-2 victory against Northern Kentucky. However, they lost their second matchups against both teams by scores of 0-6 and 0-1 respectively.
Junior player Payton Brown was recognized for her performance during the week. “Brown delivered one of the top single-game offensive performances in program history in a win over Alabama A&M, totaling seven RBIs and blasting three home runs. Both the seven RBIs and three home runs tie Western Illinois single-game records.” Over six games during this period, Brown hit .478 (11-for-23) with 15 RBIs, three home runs, and two doubles. She recorded a .500 on-base percentage and a .957 slugging percentage.
“The junior powered the Leathernecks’ offense throughout the week, highlighted by her record-tying performance that accounted for a significant portion of the team’s scoring output,” according to team officials. “The Leathernecks will lean on Brown to do more of the same this week.”
Western Illinois University Leathernecks Women’s Softball competes at the NCAA Division I level as part of its intercollegiate athletics program based in Macomb, Illinois (official website). The team is a member of the Ohio Valley Conference (official website).
For further updates about Western Illinois softball or information about upcoming games, visit GoLeathernecks.com or follow their official social media accounts.
