CLEARWATER, Fla. – In its second extra inning game this season, the Western Michigan softball team defeated the University of Pennsylvania 4-3 in nine innings on Sunday afternoon in sunny Florida. The victory was the first in the USF Under Armour Tournament this weekend as the Broncos improve to 6-10 overall.

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Redshirt senior Marlee Wilson led the Brown & Gold going 2-for-4 with a home run, a single and two RBIs. Western Michigan totaled eight hits on the day with six other Broncos connecting on the ball including sophomore Kaylen Glenfield who went 1-for-4 with an RBI. Freshman Mackenzie Swinehart snapped her nine-game hitting streak today going 0-for-5.

Wilson gave the Broncos an early 1-0 lead in the second with a dinger to right center. The home run was her third of the season and ninth of her career with the Brown & Gold. Junior Jenna Faultersack connected on a double on her first appearance at bat following the homer but WMU was unable to make anything of it.

In her second start of her career Sydney Stefanick went the first 2.1 innings without allowing a hit until the Quaker offense broke through the freshman in the third, scoring two to take the 2-1 advantage through three full innings.

In the fourth and fifth innings both the Broncos and Quakers went one-two-three until WMU's offense exploded in the sixth with back-to-back doubles from senior Aspen Williams and Glenfield to even the score at two apiece. Following that up, Wilson once again was the hero with her second hit of the day down the middle as the Broncos took a 3-2 lead.

The Quakers threatened in the bottom of the sixth inning with a one-out single but Stefanick and the rest of the Bronco defense put out the following two batters. However, Penn would force extra innings in the bottom of the seventh adding a run.

Through a scoreless eighth inning, the Broncos took the win and snapped a five-game losing streak as freshman pinch hitter Samantha Coffel drove in Faultersack off a sac fly to right center.

Junior relief pitcher Jordan Kurth was awarded the win on the mound after pitching 2.2 innings for Western Michigan as the Aurora, Ill. native delivered a strong performance in extras improving to 2-3 this season. Stefanick finished the day allowing six hits for three runs and struck out one Quaker in 6.1 total innings.

The Broncos are off for two days before hitting the diamond on Wednesday, March 4 with a doubleheader against Penn (12 p.m.) and Niagara University (2:30 p.m.)