WIU Drops Series Finale to UND

The Western Illinois University Fighting Leatherneck softball team played on Sunday (April 3), falling 0-4 to the Fighting Hawks of North Dakota. With the result, Western Illinois has officially won its first series of the 2022 season and moves to .500 in conference play.
 
Four pitchers appeared in the game for Western, with Emily Price earning the start and allowing two hits and no runs in the first while striking out one. Savannah Rodriguez came on in relief for three innings, giving up just one hit and striking out three, before Abby Carlin struck out two in two innings. Maddy Anderson pitched the game’s final inning, walking one and allowing one unearned run.
 
The Leatherneck offense produced seven hits in the game, with Ami Ill hitting in three of her four at-bats. Saturday’s performance was Ill’s first three-hit game of the season and her second multi-hit performance of the weekend. Bella Alvarez (second inning single), Abrianna Gracia (second inning single), Jorja Hudson (fourth inning single) and Gabriela Drager (sixth inning single) also recorded hits in the game, but Western’s offense was unable to produce any runs in the game.
 
Western Illinois is back in action next Saturday (April 9), facing South Dakota State in a doubleheader in Brookings, S.D. Game one is scheduled to start at 12 p.m. and will be followed by a 2 p.m. game two.