WGEM Sports At Ten: Western Illinois Leathernecks Travel To Columbia To Face The Mizzou Tigers On The Diamond

QUINCY, IL (WGEM) --The Western Illinois Baseball team could not find the critical hit as they fell to Missouri in a midweek matchup 6-0 in Columbia earlier today (on Tuesday (Mar. 7). The Tigers scored one run in each of the first five innings to beat the Leathernecks 6-0 victory.

The Missouri Tigers struck first in Tuesday’s midweek matchup, using a leadoff triple to plate a run. Mizzou would double their lead in the bottom of the second with an RBI double to hold a 2-0 advantage. Western would have their first real threat at the top of the third. Brian Erbe led off the inning with a single to center. Ricky Pospisil would follow that with an infield single to put runners first and second.

Max Slavens would bunt them both over 90 feet with one out. WIU would strand both runners in scoring position as Missouri would retire the next two Leathernecks. Missouri would add another run in the fourth inning off a solo home run to extend their lead to 4-0.

The Leathernecks would once again pressure Missouri’s defense in the fifth. Pospisil would have his second infield single with one out. Pospisil would be active on the basepaths as he would advance to third base via two wild pitches. The Tigers would retire the next two WIU batters. After the Tigers would strike for their fifth run in the fifth, WIU would once again put pressure on. Jake Allgeyer would single to center on the first pitch he saw. Allgeyer would then move up 90 feet on a Missouri wild pitch.

Derek Botaletto and Kyree Alexander would draw free passes to first base to load with one out. A 4-6-3 inning-ending double play would erase the scoring threat. WIU had one more opportunity in the eighth as Allgeyer would have a one-out double down the right-field line with one out. The Leathernecks would not be able to move him any farther as they would strand him at second base.

Caden Kratz and Chase Golden shined out of the WIU bullpen. Both relievers pitched a scoreless frame. Kratz took care of the sixth inning striking out two Tiger hitters. Golden pitched the only one, two, and three innings for WIU getting a strikeout in the seventh.

WIU totaled seven hits as a team. Ricky Pospisil and Jake Allgeyer led the team with two hits each. Allgeyer had the lone extra-base hit with his double in the eighth. The Leathernecks drew three walks and were hit by a pitch once.

Western Illinois returns to action this weekend as they travel to Belmont University for a three-game series starting Friday (Mar. 10).

---WIU Release

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