Game One Box Score
Game Two Box Score
MOUNT PLEASANT, Mich.- Western Michigan (26-19-1, 11-10 MAC) won both games of Saturday's doubleheader to complete its first series sweep over rival Central Michigan since 1995. WMU won game one in a dramatic 10-9, 10-inning fashion and cruised to a 5-3 victory in game two. Derek Mosher and Kyle Galbraith each drove in four runs apiece on the day.
"To go up and beat the Chippewas in three games at their place, it really is a wonderful thing," WMU head coach Randy Ford said. "We had timely hitting, clutch pitching and our kids just battled all weekend. We had to win on the road to help us stay in the MAC Tournament hunt, and there aren't any bigger wins than these."
In game one, an error, a hit batsman and a pair of walks ignited a six-run rally in the third for the Broncos, the big blow a grand slam over the center field fence by Derek Mosher. It was Mosher's second home run in as many games and the third grand slam by WMU this season.
Central Michigan answered back with two runs in the bottom of the inning and produced three more in the fourth to pull within one, 6-5. Both teams would go scoreless in the next two innings before each posted a run in the seventh, the Bronco score via a solo home run by Kevan Hess.
Western Michigan added a run in the eighth to go up by two, 8-6. With bases loaded, Pedro Dager drove in Joe Sheets with a groundout to third base.
The Chippewas wouldn't go down easily however, scoring two runs with two outs in the bottom of the ninth to force extra innings.
In the top of the 10th, Mosher reached on a fielder's choice and Kyle Gendron singled to give WMU two runners on base, and both moved into scoring position on a passed ball. Stepping in to pinch hit, Max Kelmigian delivered the game-winning hit, scoring the pair with a single up the middle.
Tyler Stovall cracked a solo home run to lead off Central Michigan's at bat in the bottom of the 10th, but the Broncos closed out the victory with a pair of groundouts and a strikeout.
Throwing the last three innings of relief and striking out five, Mosher earned the win on the mound, his first of the season (1-1). Billy Morrison got the start and lasted five innings, before giving away to Tim Mowry who threw the sixth and seventh.
Sheets, Matthew Abro and Grant Simotes all had two hits in the game, WMU had 11 total.
Stovall also homered for CMU in the third. He and Matt Faiman combined for seven of the Chippewas' 14 hits. Devan Kline (2-2) took the loss on the mound.
GAME TWO
Freshman right-handed starter Brian Stroud threw a masterful game two, leading the Broncos to a 5-3 victory. He allowed just two hits and one run in seven innings of work and struck out five batters to keep his record perfect at 6-0 on the season. Sheets pitched the final two innings in the win.
Western Michigan struck first with a score in the top of the third, as Hess led off with a single, and moved up two bases on a sac bunt and a groundout. Galbraith plated Hess with a single to left field.
Central Michigan responded with a run in the bottom of the fourth to knot the score at one run a piece, the only time the Chippewas would get to Stroud on the afternoon.
Like game one, the Broncos broke out with a big inning, scoring four runs in the top of the fifth. Gendron got the rally going with a leadoff home run, the first of his career. Galbraith smacked a two-run single and Kelmigian roped an RBI double as WMU opened a 5-1 advantage.
CMU scored two runs in the bottom of the eighth with Sheets on the mound. After a pair of walks, Noah Lankford cleared the bags with a two-run, two-out double. Lankford had two of Central Michigan's three total hits in the game.
Western Michigan finished the game with nine hits, Galbraith going 3-for-4 with three RBIs. Hess and Gendron both went 2-for-3 from the plate. Dager added a double.
Starter Steve Teno (7-4) was the losing pitcher for the Chippewas, giving up five runs (three earned) on seven hits and a walk in 5.1 innings. With the pair of losses, Central Michigan falls to 26-24 on the season, 11-12 in the MAC.
The critical three-game sweep keeps Western Michigan's hopes alive for one of two wild card spots in the MAC Tournament, May 21-24. The top three teams from each the East and West division get an automatic bid, and the next two teams with the best winning percentage (regardless of division) gain entry.
The Broncos make a stop in South Bend, Ind., on Monday to face Notre Dame at 5:05 p.m., before hosting Illinois State in their final home game on Tuesday at 3 p.m. WMU concludes the regular season with an all-important three-game MAC road series at Northern Illinois, May 15-17.
