PEORIA, Ill. (Interstat) — Liam Bushey’s grand slam in a six-run second inning powered Western Illinois to a 10-4 victory over Bradley on Wednesday, as the Leathernecks snapped a three-game skid and evened the season series between the in-state foes.

The game’s decisive moment came early. After scratching across a run in the first on a sacrifice fly by Gage Hoover, the Leathernecks (8-24) loaded the bases in the second against Braves starter Robert Sanford and reliever Jack Horras on a single and two walks. Bushey, the right fielder, then crushed a 1-2 offering from Horras over the right-field fence for a grand slam, staking Western Illinois to a 6-0 lead. The blast was the highlight of a 3-for-6, four-RBI day for Bushey, who entered the game hitting .300 over his previous four contests.

Western Illinois added an unearned run in the third on a Kamryn Link groundout, then extended its lead to 9-0 in the fifth on an RBI sacrifice fly by Link and a run-scoring double by Joe Connolly, who finished 2-for-4 with an RBI and two runs scored.

That ample cushion was more than enough for a dominant performance by the Leathernecks’ pitching staff. Starter Billy Humphrey set the tone with four hitless innings, striking out four and walking one. Reliever Karsten Stotlar followed with 3 1/3 hitless innings of his own, combining with Humphrey for 7 1/3 consecutive no-hit frames to open the game. Bradley (8-29) did not record its first hit until Sohrab Rezaei’s leadoff single in the fifth against reliever Anthony Steinhoff.

The Braves finally broke through in that fifth inning, scoring twice. Hayden Miller drove in Rezaei with a double, then later scored on a double steal coupled with a Western Illinois error. Bradley added another unearned run in the sixth on an RBI groundout by Landon Lowe, making it 9-3.

Wandel Campana hit a solo home run for Western Illinois in the eighth, and the Leathernecks’ final run came in the ninth on a passed ball. Bradley scored its final run in the bottom of the ninth on an RBI single by Michael Quick and a subsequent error.

Despite the late push, the Braves could not overcome their early deficit, stranding 10 runners. Miller went 2-for-5 with an RBI for Bradley. Isaiah Monge led Western Illinois’s 14-hit attack, going 4-for-5 with two doubles and three runs scored.

The victory improved Western Illinois to 2-0 against Bradley this season, following a 12-7 win in Macomb on March 24. Both teams open conference series on Friday, with Western Illinois hosting SIU Edwardsville and Bradley welcoming Southern Illinois.