Box Score - Game 1
Box Score - Game 2
KALAMAZOO, Mich. - Western Michigan softball outscored Oakland University, 14-1, and out hit the Grizzlies, 16-2, in a doubleheader sweep Wednesday afternoon at Fran Ebert Field. WMU defeated OU, 9-1 in five innings in the first game and followed with a 5-0 win in the nightcap. Lexi Jager hit .667 (4-for-6), while Molly Mroczek belted her first home run of the season.
The Bronco (9-8) offense did its damage on Wednesday despite having only three extra-base hits. Mroczek sent a shot over the right field wall in the fourth inning of game two to cap a three-RBI day for the senior. Samantha Vargocko smacked a 2-2 pitch for a double to right center to plate WMU's first two runs of the second game. Molly Lange recorded her first-career hit with a two-bagger in the bottom of the sixth in the same game, scoring Lauren Fuller, reached on a pinch-hit base on balls.
WMU's day began with Oakland (9-12) scoring in the top of the second inning in game one but the Broncos quickly erased the deficit in the bottom half of the frame. Amanda McBride, who went 2-for-5 on the day, scored Vargocko when she grounded out, evening the score. Becky Bartosz plated the next run for the home team with a single through the left side to score pinch runner Michelle Bendewald. Mandi Sayres followed with a base hit through the same hole in the Grizzlies infielf but was one of two Broncos stranded on base to end the inning.
The Brown & Gold's offense exploded in the fourth and fifth innings, scoring three and four runs, respectively, to close out the game in five innings. Sarah Thomas singled to left field in the fourth, scoring Bartosz from second base. Amanda Gelder followed with a two-RBI single up the middle to give WMU a 5-1 lead.
The first three Bronco batters reached to lead off the bottom of the fifth and McBride plate another run with a base knock up the middle. Lange drew a walk and Thomas followed with another base on balls to score Kyla Sullivan. Mroczek settled things with one swing of her bat following Thomas. The junior ripped a single back through the circle to score Sayres, running for Lange, and McBride.
Western Michigan controlled the second game, allowing an Oakland hit in the second and not another until the top of the sixth. Vargocko's double in the bottom of the first, scoring two, ended being all the offense the Broncos would need as Meghan Thomas worked 5.0 innings, allowing just the one hit and not walking a batter. WMU scored runs in the third, off a Jager single to score Sayres, the fourth, Mroczek's bomb, and the sixth, on Lange's double.
The WMU pitchers shined in the April sun as Sullivan picked up her fifth win of the year in her eighth complete game in nine starts. Sullivan allowed just one earned run on two hits, while fanning a pair of Grizzlies. Thomas improved to 3-2 in the circle and Kelli Zache worked 2.0 innings, allowing just one hit.
Jager and Gelder each recorded multi-hit games on Wednesday and four Broncos had multi-RBI games - Gelder (two RBIs in each), McBride, Mroczek and Sarah Thomas.
Western Michigan returns to Mid-American Conference action this weekend, hosting Northern Illinois on April 5-6. Saturday's game, marking the first MAC home game of the season, begins at 2 p.m., with Sunday's tilt scheduled to start at 1 p.m.
