Box Score
MOUNT PLEASANT, Mich.- Derek Mosher hit his fourth home run of the season and Joe Sheets and Grant Simotes each drove in a pair of runs as Western Michigan defeated Central Michigan, 8-4, Friday. It was the first win for WMU at Theunissen Stadium since 2003.
Tied 3-3 after three innings of play, the Broncos rattled off five runs in its next four at bats to take an 8-3 lead. The Chippewas came up with a run on a solo homer by Sean Hoorelbeke in the bottom of the ninth, but a strong showing by Brown & Gold starter Ethan Hollingsworth and two solid innings of relief by Mosher sealed the WMU victory.
Western Michigan broke the three-all tie in the fourth, scoring two runs with two outs. Simotes got things going with a single through the right side and Zach Gentile drew a walk. Kyle Galbraith and Chris Lewis brought the runners across with RBI singles.
Mosher extended the Bronco advantage in the fifth, belting a solo home run down the right field line.
Adding two more runs in the seventh, WMU went ahead, 8-3. The Broncos tallied both scores without getting a hit, taking advantage of a hit batsman, a walk and two Chippewa errors. Simotes recorded an RBI with a sacrifice fly.
Western Michigan made use of Central Michigan's miscues early in the game as well. In the first inning, Lewis was hit by a pitch and Abro reached on a walk. Sheets drove in both with his team-leading 16th double of the season. Mosher led off the second with a walk, moved to third on a error and scored on Simotes' first sac fly of the game.
CMU scored its runs off a single and a double in the first and added two more on a two-run double by Hoorelbeke in the third.
Hollingsworth (5-5) earned the win on the mound, striking out six in seven innings, while scattering three runs off five hits. Finishing out the game, the only hit off Mosher was the home run in the ninth.
Western Michigan pounded out 10 hits and did not commit an error. Simotes, Lewis, Sheets and Galbraith each had two knocks apiece. CMU totaled six hits and had three errors on the afternoon.
Dan Taylor (3-5) took the loss for the Chippewas, giving up six runs on eight hits, lasting just 5.1 innings.
Western Michigan and Central Michigan will play a doubleheader tomorrow, forgoing a game on Sunday, due to weather that is expected to move into the area. The first game of the doubleheader is scheduled for 1 p.m.
