GAME ONE BOX SCORE
GAME TWO BOX SCORE
MOREHEAD, Ky.- Western Michigan (12-4-1) completed a four-game series sweep of the
Morehead State (6-9) by taking both ends of a Sunday twin bill, 16-0
and 9-2, on March 16. The Broncos earned a pair of shutout wins on
Saturday as well, to outscore the Eagles 38-2 over the weekend.
Dominant pitching and an explosive offense has been a constant for Western Michigan in 2008, and proved to be no different on Sunday. Taking game one 16-0, the Broncos recorded their third straight shutout. Starter Brian Stroud (2-0) earned the win in a three-hit, five-inning effort. Brian Schutzbach and Tim Mowry finished out the game, each throwing an inning of hitless ball.
WMU pounded out 20 hits and scored in all seven innings. The Broncos capitalized on Eagle mistakes, turning two errors into eight unearned runs.
Six players had multi-hit games, led by Kevan Hess' 4-for-4 (two doubles), three RBI performance. Matthew Abro and Grant Simotes both went 3-for-4 at the plate, with Simotes driving in three and Abro two. Kyle Galbraith had a pair of knocks, including a solo home run in the fourth, his first of the season. Joe Sheets banged out his team leading seventh and eighth doubles, tallying two RBIs.
Western Michigan's offense did not let up in game two, jumping out to a 9-0 lead through four and a half innings before allowing Morehead State's first runs of the series in the bottom of the fourth and fifth.
Galbraith, Sheets, Abro, Max Kelmigian and Pedro Dager hit five consecutive singles to start the off a five-run third for WMU. The Broncos also scored a pair of runs in the second and fourth, one of those in the fourth courtesy of a Sheets solo home run, his second of the year. Kelmigian finished the game 3-for-4 at the plate, with three runs scored. Abro, Sheets and Kyle Gendron all had two hits apiece.
Gus Jacobson (2-0) picked up his second win of the season, allowing just one hit in three innings. Ross Westdorp threw the fourth and fifth, surrendering the two runs on four hits. Sheets and Derek Mosher came on in the sixth and seventh, respectively, and both threw hitless innings.
Morehead State starters Jake Helvey (1-1) and Trey Smith (0-3) took losses on the mound for the Eagles. Andrew Wertz was the only MSU player to have multiple hits the entire day, going 2-for-6 overall with a solo home run.
As a team, Western Michigan is batting .321 this season and has a team ERA of 3.45.
The Broncos will look to extend their five-game win streak this weekend, as they open Mid-American Conference play with the home opener at Hyames Field against Bowling Green. The three-game series is slated to start Friday with a 3 p.m. first pitch.
