Box Score
KALAMAZOO, Mich.- Western Michigan (20-10-1) won its fifth straight, concluding a seven-game homestand with a 14-5 win over IPFW Wednesday at Hyames Field. Kalamazoo native Kevan Hess led the Broncos with three hits, including a home run and a double, while driving in three runs.
Getting off to a slow start, WMU opened fire on the Mastodon bullpen, scoring 12 of its 14 runs in its final four at bats.
The Broncos took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first, scoring on a Joe Sheets triple and Chris Lewis groundout. The two teams traded runs over the next three innings to send the game into the fifth tied, 2-2. Hess' home run came in the third inning, a solo blast to left center.
Western Michigan loaded the bases on a pair of walks and a Zach Gentile bunt single in the bottom of the fifth, and broke the deadlock on a two-run single by Lewis. Matthew Abro gave WMU a 5-2 lead with his first of three RBIs, hitting a sacrifice fly to center field.
The Brown & Gold kept things going in the sixth inning, plating three more runs. Much like the fifth, the Broncos had bases loaded after a single and two walks. Lewis took a low inside pitch off the foot, recording an RBI, and the runners again moved up a bag on a wild pitch, allowing Gentile to score. Abro rang up his second RBI with a groundout before IPFW slinked out of the inning.
The Mastodons (7-22-1) attempted to keep things close, coming up with three runs in the top of the seventh. A leadoff home run and a two-run single off of WMU reliever Tim Mowry pulled IPFW within three, 8-5.
Doubles to left field by Pedro Dager and Hess in the bottom of the seventh tacked another run onto WMU's lead and the Broncos put the game out of reach with five runs in the bottom of the eighth.
Western Michigan batted through its order in the eighth, scoring five runs on five hits. Abro notched his third RBI with a fielder's choice, Joe McDonald rocked a two-run triple down the right field line, and Hess and Gentile had RBI singles in the scoring whirlwind.
The Broncos pounded out 13 hits on the day. Going 3-for-4 at the plate, Hess finished a triple away from hitting for the cycle, a day after Neal Miller was a single away from the same feat. Gentile, Lewis, Dager and Grant Simotes each had two hits. Lewis finished with four RBIs, while Abro and Hess had three.
Left-handed reliever Brian Schutzbach (2-0) earned his second win of the season, replacing WMU starter Gus Jacobson with one down in the fourth. Schutzbach held IPFW scoreless through 2.1 innings of work, striking out four and surrendering just one hit. Michael Klepper threw the final two scoreless innings.
Western Michigan (5-4 MAC) takes to the road this weekend, facing Mid-American Conference opponent Eastern Michigan (10-23, 7-2 MAC) in a three-game series. Friday's game one in Ypsilanti, Mich., starts with a 6 p.m. first pitch.
Game Notes: Gentile extended his hitting streak to a career-high and team season-best 12 games ... Abro had an 11-game hit streak snapped ... Hess' home run was his second of the season ... during its five-game win streak, WMU has outscored opponents 48-18 ... both Lewis and Hess have batted .500 in that span ... WMU and IPFW met once before this season in Brandenton, Fla., on March 7, ending in a 1-1 tie called due to darkness ... the Broncos are one run away from passing their run total (240) from a year ago, with 19 regular-season games left in 2008.
