Box Score vs. Maine
Box Score vs. Albany
DeLAND, Fla. - The Broncos earned an 11-inning win over Maine, 2-1, to open play this morning on the strength of Kyla Sullivan's complete-game effort but fell this afternoon, 8-1, in a rematch with Albany. Michelle Bendewald hit her first-career home run against the Great Danes in the loss.
The Broncos participated in the first two games of the second day at the Stetson Invtitational and did not disappoint the fans in Saturday's opener against Maine. WMU and the Bears battled nine scoreless innings with both starting pitchers wrok hard in the circle. Sullivan came away with her second win in as many starts, working a complete game.
The Saugus, Calif., native scattered six hits among the 42 batters she faced and struck out a career-matching 11 would-be hitters. After giving up five earned runs in the win against Albany, Sullivan did not allow an earned run against Maine. She also led the Broncos at the plate with a 3-for-4 performance.
With Sulivan getting it done in the circle, WMU's offense scratched out a pair of runs in the 10th and 11th innings to get the win. Two outs away from a loss, Samantha Vargocko hit s base hit to center field and advanced on a Maine throwing error, which also scored Becky Bartosz, who led off the inning placed at second base.
The Bears were put down in order in the top of the 11th, which gave Western Michigan its opportunity. Brittney Reist was placed at second base to start the frame and Amanda McBride sacrificed her over to third. Molly Mroczek came through with the game-winning hit with a single down the left field line. Reist went 2-for-5 against Maine.
WMU had 12 hits on the day compared to the Bears' six but both had opportunities to score earlier as Maine stranded 12 base runners and the Broncos stranded 14. Maine stranded multiple runners on three occasions, including three in the top of the seventh. The Bears also stranded a runner at third base in the top of the 10th inning, a run that would have given them a two-run advantage heading into the bottom of the frame when WMU managed just one score.
The Broncos took the field against Albany for the second time in two days on Saturday afternoon but the outcome was different from Friday's 10-6 extra-inning win. WMU fell, 8-1, to the Great Danes. Bendewald accounted for the offense, smacking her first-career home run to left center field in the top of the fifth inning.
The loss will place Western Michigan in the consolation game of the Stetson Invitational Sunday morning at 10 a.m.
