HALDEMAN, Ky. (Interstat) — Landon Waugh pitched a complete game and Ian McCubbin delivered a walk-off single in the bottom of the ninth inning to lift Morehead State to a 4-3 victory over Western Illinois on Saturday at Allen Field.

The Eagles (27-22, 14-9 Ohio Valley) erased an early 2-0 deficit and finally broke a 3-3 tie in the final frame. Waugh scattered seven hits over nine innings, striking out nine and allowing three earned runs to improve to 6-4 on the season.

Western Illinois (15-31, 6-17) grabbed a 2-0 lead in the top of the first inning without a hit. Joe Connolly led off with a double to right field and Liam Bushey walked. Both runners stole a base on the same pitch, and Connolly came home on a throwing error by the catcher during Bushey’s steal of second. Bushey later scored on a groundout.

The Leathernecks extended the lead to 3-0 in the third inning when Wandel Campana smashed a two-run homer to right center, scoring Bushey who had singled. Campana’s fourth home run of the season gave Western Illinois a three-run advantage.

Morehead State answered immediately. Davis Germann led off the bottom of the third with a solo home run to center field, his ninth of the season, cutting the deficit to 3-1. Earlier in the first inning, Germann had doubled and scored on an Ian McCubbin infield single, and Sheridan added an RBI single, making it 3-2. The game was tied 3-3 in the third after Germann’s homer.

The score remained deadlocked through the middle innings as both pitching staffs settled in. Western Illinois starter Jason Buhl worked five innings, allowing three earned runs on just four hits while striking out four. Cade Sonoqui relieved him in the sixth and threw 2 2/3 scoreless innings, striking out three.

Western Illinois took its final lead in the top of the eighth. Connolly tripled down the right field line leading off the inning and scored on Bushey’s sacrifice fly to left field, giving the Leathernecks a 4-3 lead. But Waugh retired the next two batters to escape further damage.

In the bottom of the ninth, with the score still 4-3, Eric Rawlings relieved Sonoqui. Rawlings struck out the first batter, but then allowed a single to right center by Charlie Coomer. Andrew Peak pinch ran for Coomer and advanced to second on a throwing error by Rawlings on a pickoff attempt. Jaden Correa singled to right center, moving Peak to third. After a mound visit, the Eagles’ Ethan Dutton lined a 1-0 pitch to left center, scoring Peak for the walk-off victory.

Dutton had two hits in the game, including the game-winner. McCubbin also recorded three hits and an RBI, and Germann finished 3-for-4 with a home run and a double. Connolly went 2-for-4 with a double and a triple for Western Illinois, and Campana drove in two runs.

Waugh’s outing was the second complete game of the season for Morehead State and came one day after he allowed two earned runs in six innings against Arkansas-Little Rock. He struck out nine, his highest total in an Ohio Valley game this season.

Western Illinois has lost four consecutive games, including a 10-8 defeat to Morehead State on Friday. The Leathernecks have allowed 10 or more runs in nine of their last 11 games.

Morehead State has now won three in a row and improved to 13-7 at home this season. The two teams conclude the three-game series on Sunday.

Interstat’s game simulator had projected a final score of Morehead State 7, Western Illinois 6, and the ELO system gave the Eagles a 70.70 percent probability to win.