Western Illinois University Leathernecks Men’s Baseball defeated Southern Illinois University Edwardsville (SIUE) 10-1 on Apr. 18 in Macomb, Illinois.
The win highlights Western Illinois’ strong performance early in the game, as the team scored seven runs in the first inning. Wandel Campana started with an RBI single, and Gage Hoover followed with a two-RBI double. Isaiah Monge, Krayton Morse, Josh McClintock, and Joe Connolly each contributed RBIs during the opening frame.
Campana added a two-run home run in the fourth inning to extend the lead to 9-0. Hoover drove in another run with an RBI walk in the seventh. Campana and Hoover each finished with three RBIs for Western Illinois, while Monge had two hits and one RBI. Both Connolly and McClintock also recorded two hits apiece.
Pitcher Jason Buhl went six innings for Western Illinois, allowing only one run while striking out seven batters to earn the win. Cade Sonoqui pitched three scoreless innings to close out the game. SIUE managed its only run in the sixth inning but was otherwise limited offensively by Western’s pitching staff.
Western Illinois University Leathernecks Men’s Baseball competes at the NCAA Division I level according to the official website. The program is a member of the Ohio Valley Conference according to its official site and operates from Macomb, Illinois according to university sources. The team functions as part of Western’s collegiate athletic offerings according to its official website.
Notably, alumni such as Rick and Paul Reuschel advanced from this program to Major League Baseball during their careers in the late 1960s according to university records. The Leatherneck baseball program continues its tradition of fostering student-athlete development and engaging with both campus and local communities through athletics as stated by school officials.
