MACOMB, Ill. (Interstat) — The Western Illinois Leathernecks overcame an early five-run deficit to defeat the Arkansas-Little Rock Trojans 8-5 in Ohio Valley Conference baseball Sunday at Alfred D. Boyer Stadium.

The Trojans (19-13) scored all five of their runs in the first inning, highlighted by Nolan Freund’s RBI single. Western Illinois (7-21) responded immediately, scoring three in the first and two in the second to tie it. The game remained deadlocked until the seventh.

Blake Simpson’s grand slam put Arkansas-Little Rock ahead 5-5 in the top of the inning, but Western Illinois answered with three runs in the bottom half. Gage Hoover delivered a two-run double and Isaiah Monge added an RBI single to secure the win.

Leathernecks starter Brett Buchanan earned the win, allowing three earned runs over six innings with eight strikeouts. Trojans reliever Isaac Evaniew threw 4 1/3 scoreless innings in relief.