Box Score
DEKALB, Ill.- Western Michigan, in a six-team race for one of four remaining playoff spots in the Mid-American Conference Tournament, let an important win get away falling 12-11 at Northern Illinois on Thursday. The Broncos led 11-4 after seven innings, but the Huskies rallied for eight runs in the final two frames to steal the win.
WMU, the most sure-gloved team in the MAC with a .969 fielding percentage, fell victim to its own miscues, committing a season-high five errors in the game. Five different Broncos, Kyle Galbraith, Chris Lewis, Matthew Abro, Joe Sheets and Kevan Hess homered in the loss.
Leading by seven runs, 11-4, Western Michigan all but had the game locked up with six outs to record. NIU had other plans, and made a big cut into the deficit in the eighth, scoring five runs to pull within two. Bobby Stevens provided the big blow with a three-run homer off of WMU reliever Tim Mowry.
Derek Mosher took over for Mowry with an 11-9 lead in the bottom of the ninth, but couldn't close the door. With two runners on board after a leadoff walk and a double, NIU's Danny Reed tied the game with a two-run double to right center. Reed moved over to third as the Broncos recorded the first out of the inning with fly out in the next at bat. WMU intentionally walked Marvin Sanchez, in hopes of being able to turn a double play ball with a runner at first and third. There would be no play to be made by the defense however, as Mosher's first delivery to Anthony Maziur sailed high and out of the reach of the catcher Hess, allowing Reed to score the winning run on a wild pitch.
Giving up three runs on two hits, Mosher (1-2) took the loss. Western Michigan fell to 28-20-1 overall, 11-11 in the MAC, while Northern Illinois improved to 25-23, 15-9 MAC.
Ethan Hollingsworth went the first five innings on the mound for WMU, striking our four batters and allowing five hits. Unfortunately, he didn't get much help from the defense as he was tagged for four runs, only one of which were earned. Mowry gave up five earned runs on four hits in three innings.
Sheets paced the Bronco offense, pounding out three of the team's 12 hits, including a three-run homer in a five-run first by WMU. Abro and Hess (two RBI) each went deep in the third and Galbraith and Lewis hit back-to-back long balls in the fourth. Mosher drove in the final score for the Broncos in the seventh with an RBI single.
Dave Reynolds (5-0) earned the win for Northern Illinois, throwing the final two innings of flawless relief.
Western Michigan, with MAC Tournament hopes still alive, face off with Northern Illinois again tomorrow at 4 p.m. The two teams wrap up the three-game series with a 2 p.m. matchup on Saturday.
