Softball April 08, 2007 Mat Kanan, director of athletic media relations

WMU Opens Miami Doubleheader with a Win, 4-2

OXFORD, Ohio - Western Michigan softball received a pair of two-hit performances in its 4-2 win over Miami in the first game of a doubleheader on Easter Sunday. Kyla Sullivan retired the final 18 batters in a row to claim her seventh win of the season and push the Broncos over the .500 mark overall and in the Mid-American Conference.

Western Michigan (12-11, 4-3 MAC) took an early lead with an RBI-single by Amanda Heckaman. The RedHawks (11-27-1, 3-4 MAC) put to Broncos on base via the walk and Heckaman took a 2-1 pitch up the middle to score Mandi Sayres.

Miami answered in its half of the first inning, scoring a pair of runs. Briana Burke singled through the right side to plate Christine Bills, who registered a one-out double to center field earlier in the frame. Alicia Hogl drew a walk as did Sarah Billstrom to drive in the RedHawks second run of the inning.

WMU captured the lead back with a three-run second inning. After Kyla Sullivan popped up to second base, Amanda McBride singled to right and Molly Mroczek followed by reaching on a fielding error. Sayres followed with a base hit to left center field to load the bases. Kristi Strange then plated a run by grounding out one batter later.

Heckaman was hit by a pitch to re-load the bases. Becky Bartosz earned a base on balls on four-straight pitches to score Mroczek and Amanda Gelder, pinch-hitting for Lauren Fuller, also earned a walk to score Sayres and give the Broncos a 4-2 lead after two at bats.

Strange collected yet another double in the top of the sixth but was tagged out at the plate when Bartosz singled up the middle and the Western Michigan lead remained at two runs after 5.5 innings.

Sullivan settled in the circle after the first inning, allowing just one hit in the second inning and then retiring the RedHawks in order in the third, fourth, fifth, sixth and seventh innings, sitting down 18 batters in order to capture her seventh win of the year to even here record (7-7). Sullivan scattered four hits, gave up two runs and fanned four in her complete-game victory.

McBride and Sayres each finished the game 2-for-3 at the plate, scoring once and twice, respectively.

Miami (12-27-1, 4-4 MAC) answered back in game two of the doubleheader, taking down the Broncos (12-12, 4-4 MAC), 8-0 in five innings.

Western Michigan is set to take on Michigan State on April 10 at Fran Ebert Field, beginning at 4 p.m.

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