Softball | April 20, 2017

KALAMAZOO, Mich.– The Western Michigan softball team continues their eight-game road trip this weekend as the Broncos face in-state Mid-American Conference rival Eastern Michigan in a three-game series this weekend. Play begins with a single game on Friday, scheduled to start at 3 p.m., followed by a doubleheader on Saturday beginning at 1 p.m.

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Live stats will be available for this weekend's three-game series at Eastern Michigan with live audio available for Saturday's doubleheader.

The Brown & Gold enter the weekend at 16-24 overall and 4-11 in the MAC while Eastern Michigan holds a 15-25 overall, 2-12 MAC record. The Broncos are batting .281 this season placing them third in the MAC compared to the Eagles who are hitting .258. Western Michigan has a 2.99 ERA while the Eastern Michigan staff has an ERA of 5.29.
 
Western Michigan swept the Eagles at home in the three-game series during the 2016 campaign and have not lost to the Eagles since 2011. Last year, the Broncos won the doubleheader contest (4-0, 8-2) before completing the sweep the following day with a shutout victory on senior day.  
 
WMU senior third baseman Kelsea Cichocki comes into the weekend ranked No. 20 in the nation in batting average (.437), good for first in the MAC. Cichocki is second in the conference for RBIs (37) and on-base percentage (.476), third in slugging percentage (.690) and total bases (87), and tied for fifth with redshirt junior Marlee Wilson for doubles (12). Three other players are also batting over .300 for the Broncos. Freshman Mackenzie Swinehart is hitting .355 with a .388 on-base percentage, first baseman Wilson is batting .328, and senior center fielder Ivy Schaaf is hitting .311 and enters the weekend with a six-game hitting streak. WMU has 23 round-trippers as a team led by three Broncos including Cichocki (6), senior Abby Stoner (5) and left fielder Aspen Williams (4).
 
Sophomore pitcher Jordan Kurth has eight wins this season, making 25 appearances and 17 starts. The lefty has a 2.77 ERA over 111 innings pitched and has totaled 66 strikeouts. Junior Anissa Sanchez has five wins and leads the Broncos pitching staff with a 2.61 ERA over 88.2 innings. Junior Holly VanTilburg has seen increased action on the mound as of late and holds a 3-3 record with a 3.48 ERA.

Following the series with Eastern Michigan, the Broncos conclude their eight-game road trip next week playing a MAC series at Toledo and making a mid-week non-conference stop at Michigan. WMU returns home to host Ball State for the Broncos' final home games and MAC series, May 5-6.