Box Score
ATHENS, Ohio - Western Michigan softball dropped a three-run decision, 6-3, at Ohio on Sunday afternoon but took three out of four games on the weekend heading into the final week of the season. Becky Bartosz accounted for two of WMU's three runs with her 10th-career home run.
WMU (17-15, 9-7 MAC) struck first when Bartosz cranked her fifth home run of the year, a two-run job that also brought Amanda McBride across the plate (reached on a fielder's choice). Bartosz went 1-for-2 during the day and hit .313 during the four-game weekend. She also registered seven RBIs in four games with five in two games on Friday and two more on Sunday.
Ohio (22-21, 7-11 MAC) was quiet in the first inning but turned up the volume in the home half of the second, scoring five runs on four hits. Kristen Salvatore recorded a one-out single to start things off for the Bobcats and was sacrificed over to second base by Amanda Sacks. She later scored on Alicia Catlette base hit. Catlette scored on a WMU fielding error. Shalene Petrich bunted for a single to score Jordan Paden and chase the Broncos' starting pitcher Meghan Thomas.
Western Michigan scratched out a third run in the top of the sixth when Samantha Vargocko hit her third double of the season to score Lexi Jager, who registered a one-out base hit to center field. Jager and Vargocko joined Bartosz in the hit column, along with Amanda McBride (infield hit in the third inning) and Amanda Gelder (infield single to lead off fourth inning).
Ohio answered WMU's run with a tally of its own when Salvatore scored on a Courtney Waters base hit with two outs.
Over this past week Gelder led the Bronco offense with a .545 batting average (6-for-11) with three runs scored, two RBIs and a home run. She was one of five Broncos to hit a home over the four-game stretch as WMU hit six total. Bartosz was the only batter to hit two home runs during the weekend. Kyla Sullivan went 3-0 in the circle with a 1.21 ERA.
The Broncos will play their final non-conference game on Tuesday, April 29, at Loyola-Chicago before hosting their final conference weekend of the season when Ball State (May 2) and Miami (May 3-4) come to Kalamazoo next weekend. Sunday's game against Miami will also be Senior Day.
