The Lindenwood baseball team (21-21, 8-7 OVC) picked up a series opening 8-1 win over Western Illinois (12-25, 5-11 OVC) on Friday afternoon in Macomb, Ill.

GAME OVERVIEW
It was a pitchers duel until the sixth when the Lions broke through for three runs. A pair of walks put the first two runners on and Lindenwood played small ball with a bunt from Kam Edwards. Evan Funkhouser eventually came around to score on a passed ball, giving the Lions a 1-0 lead. After an error by the Leathernecks plated another run, Filip Sarota singled home, Tyler Thompson, extending the lead to 3-0.

Once again, a pair of walks in the seventh put the first two Lindenwood runners on. Thompson brought one home with a sac fly, and another scored on a wild pitch, putting the Black and Gold up 5-0.  
           
Sarota homered to right center to lead off the eighth, giving Lindenwood a 6-0 lead.  The Leathernecks got on the board with one in the bottom half. The Lions plated two more in the eighth to go up 8-1. Josh Newell was terrific on the mound, tossing seven scoreless innings and giving up just three hits on the way to his OVC leading eighth win.

GAME LEADERS
Josh Newell (7 IP, three hits, four Ks)
Filip Sarota (2-5, one HR, two RBI)
Mitch Cummins (2-2, two runs)

UP NEXT
These two teams will continue their series tomorrow at 1:00 p.m.