Box Score

LANSING, Mich.- Western Michigan (23-19-1) scored five of its six runs in the final four frames but couldn't overcome an early deficit as the Broncos dropped an 8-6 decision to Michigan State Wednesday at Oldsmobile Park in Lansing.

MSU (22-23) plated a run in the first and second to take a 2-0 advantage. Spartan starter Kyle Corcoran held Western Michigan scoreless through the first three innings, but the Broncos took advantage of a pitching change in the fourth and cut the lead in half. Pedro Dager doubled, advanced to third on a wild pitch and scored on a sacrifice fly by Kevan Hess.

Michigan State pulled away in the fifth. A four-run inning was propelled by a three-run homer by Eric Roof, and the Spartans added runs in the seventh and eighth.

Western Michigan fought back with a pair of scores in the sixth and eighth. Joe Sheets drove in a run in each of the innings, while Hess and Derek Mosher also pushed a run across the dish.

The Broncos entered the ninth trailing 8-5. With one out, Zach Gentile singled and Kyle Galbraith drew a walk to put the tying run at the plate. Chris Lewis hit into a fielder's choice as Galbraith was thrown out at second, giving WMU runners on the corners. Abro zipped an RBI single to center field, but Sheets was unable to keep the two-out rally alive in the next at bat, hitting into the decisive third out.

Abro and Dager both batted 2-for-3 at the plate, while Sheets and Gentile also had two hits each. Galbraith, Sheets and Dager all doubled.

Allowing six runs (five earned) on seven hits in five innings, WMU starter Ross Westdorp (3-5) was handed the loss. MSU's A.J. Dunn (2-2) earned the win, pitching two innings of one-run relief.

Western Michigan travels to Central Michigan this weekend for a three-game Mid-American Conference series. Friday's game one starts a 3 p.m., followed by a 2 p.m. contest on Saturday and a 1 p.m. first pitch on Sunday.