BOX SCORE
CORDOVA, Tenn.- Western Michigan (1-0) scored 11 runs on 12 hits in the last four innings of the game to overcome a three-run deficit and beat Southern Illinois (0-1), 11-5, at First Tennessee Fields. Senior transfer Ross Westdorp (1-0) earned the win in his first appearance on the mound in the Brown & Gold and five different Broncos recorded multi-hit games.
Western Michigan gave up three runs in the fourth and went hitless through the first five innings before breaking its silence in the sixth frame. The Broncos rattled off a pair of runs in the sixth and seventh, three in the eighth and capped off the day with a four-run ninth to clinch the opening-day victory.
“I was pleased with how calm we were today,” WMU head coach Randy Ford said. “It took us a few innings to get going, but when we did, it looked as though we had been playing outside for awhile. The pitching and defense was solid and our hitters did a nice job putting balls in play.”
The Brown & Gold got a little help in the sixth as Kevan Hess was hit by a pitch and Grant Simotes reached on an error. Hess later scored on a wild pitch and Simotes came across on a Joe Sheets RBI single.
Max Kelmigian was plunked with a pitch to start the seventh, and Derek Mosher and Simotes both ripped RBI doubles to give WMU a lead it wouldn't relinquish.
Western Michigan added three runs as Joe Sheets, Matthew Abro and Neal Miller cracked RBI-singles in the eighth, extending the Broncos' lead to 7-3.
The Salukis briefly threatened a comeback in the bottom half of the frame, but would only come away with a pair of runs.
Western Michigan finished off the afternoon with a five-hit, four-run ninth to seal the win. A pair of throwing errors led to as many runs and Neal Miller drove in two.
On the bump for WMU, Ethan Hollingsworth threw the first 5.1 innings, giving up three runs on six hits, while striking out four, before giving away to Westdorp. Westdorp finished out the sixth and seventh, allowing one run. Southpaw Brian Schutzbach stepped in to face a left-handed batter in the eighth and Tim Mowry recorded the final five outs to earn his first career save.
Miller led WMU offensively, going 2-for-4 with three RBIs. Sheets, Abro, Lewis and Mosher also had two hits apiece.
Four players collected two hits apiece for the Salukis, who totaled 10 as a team. Southern Illinois used six pitchers on the day. Andrew Dunn (0-1) was tagged with the loss.
Western Michigan and Southern Illinois meet again tomorrow in doubleheader action. Game one is scheduled for 11 a.m. ET.
