Box Score
ATHENS, Ohio - Western Michigan earned its third win in a row, taking out Ohio in Athens, 4-0, on Saturday afternoon. Samantha Vargocko hit her team-leading sixth home run of the season in the victory. WMU managed just four hits but they made them count, scoring in the second, fourth and fifth innings.
The Broncos (17-14, 9-6 MAC) struck first in the top of the second inning when Chelsea Westenburg, pinch running for Amanda Gelder who led off with a five-pitch walk. On the scoring play Michelle Bendewald reached on a fielder's choice and Lauren Fuller, who also drew a walk, advanced and then reached third on an error and Westenburg crossed on home plate with the first run of the game.
Ohio did not register a hit until the third inning when Jordan Paden recorded a one-out, infield single. The Bobcats came up empty as they did in the fourth as well when Melissa Bonner led off with a base hit but was unable to round the bases.
WMU tacked on another run in the top of the fourth. Vargocko led off the frame with a walk and later scored an unearned run when the catcher committed a fielding error. Vargocko was sent toward home on an RBI-single off the bat of Sarah Thomas.
Vargocko sent herself home, along with Gelder who led off by being hit by a pitch, homering to right field on a 1-2 pitch. Vargocko extended her team leading in the category with her sixth home run of the 2008 season, giving her team a 4-0 lead after four and a half innings. Gelder, Amanda McBride and Mandi Sayres joined Vargocko in the hit column with a base knock each.
Ohio's most productive inning came in the bottom of the fifth when the Bobcats loaded the bases with three base knocks but left the bases loaded without scratching out a run when Bonner flied out to right field.
Kyla Sullivan earned her 12th win of the season and third victory in the circle in the past two days. It was her first solo shut out of the season after she shared a no-hit shut out with Kelli Zache earlier this season. Sullivan worked her 14th complete game, scattering six hits and striking out a pair.
WMU and Ohio will finish their two-game series on Sunday afternoon at 2 p.m., as the Broncos look for their first four-game conference sweep of the season.
