Box Score - Game 1
Box Score - Game 2
Overall Stats
YPSILANTI, Mich. - The Broncos blanked Eastern Michigan, 4-0, in game one of the Mid-American Conferene series but allowed an Eagle comeback in the second game, falling, 6-5. Amanda Heckaman sparked WMU's offense in the doubleheader, going 4-for-6, including her first home run of the season, with six RBI and a run scored.
Western Michigan (13-8, 1-1 MAC) bookended a pair of runs around a stellar seven-inning pitching performance by Krysten Shumaker in the opener, scoring two runs in the first and seventh innings. In fact six of the Broncos nine hits came in those two innings. Katie Niemi started the game off with a single up the middle, followed by Danielle Daughtry's base hit through the left side of the infield. Kristi Strange laid down a sacrifice bunt, moving the pair over and into scoring position. Heckaman strolled to the plate and drove in the first two of her three RBI of the first game.
The Broncos added two unearned insurance runs in the seventh inning as Niemi, who finished the day 5-for-6 at the plate with three runs scored, scored on a throwing error. Daughtry reached on an error by the second baseman and later scored on Heckaman's third hit of the game, a single to right center field.
The two runs in the first was all that Shumaker (7-2) would need as the sophomore tossed her third shutout of the season in her eighth complete game. She allowed just two hits and fanned 10 batters, giving her 80 strikeouts this year, and extended her streak of not allowing an earned run to 29.0 innings.
Game two started where game one had left off with WMU scoring three runs in the top of the first inning. Again it was Heckaman at the plate when the Broncos began scoring as the junior drove in two more runs with a one-out single. Connie Kolokithas, who went 1-for-4 in game two, drove in her only run of the day with a single to right field, scoring Corey Andrzejewski.
WMU took its three-run cushion into the bottom of the fourth inning. Tricia VanDerSlik (3-5), who also went 2-for-3 at the plate in the first game, was cruising as she had not allowed a hit through the first three frames and had allowed only three base runners. Eastern Michigan's (13-16, 1-1 MAC) offense came to life in the Eagles'm half of the fourth, pouncing on the Broncos for five runs on six hits. VanDerSlik gave up four of the runs before being relieved by Kyla Sullivan. Sullivan pitched the remainder of the inning and the fifth as well, giving up two more runs.
Heckamand did her part to get WMU back on top, belting a solo home run to center field to cut the Broncos' deficit to one run. After Sullivan allowed the Eagles their sixth run in the fifth, the Brown & Gold plated a fifth run when Daughtry, who went 2-for-3 in the game, drove home Mandi Sayres with a single.
Western Michigan had an opportunity to tie or take the lead in the top of the seventh as well. Heckaman led off with a walk and VanDerSlik reached on an error. They were sacrificed into scoring position with two outs but a Jenna Stuppy foul out ended the rally.
WMU now travels to Central Michigan, which swept Northern Illinois, 3-1 and 8-0, on April 1-2. The Chippewas owns a 55-32 edge in the all-time series with the Broncos. The two teams split their season series a year ago.
