Box Score
KALAMAZOO, Mich.- Tim Cross and Kyle Galbraith each had home runs in Western Michigan's 21-9 loss to Northern Illinois Thursday. For Galbraith, it was his team-leading 13th blast of the season, tying him for the fifth most home runs in a single season at WMU.
Western Michigan took a 2-0 advantage in the first inning on RBI doubles by Chris Lewis and Jamie Simpson. The lead would be short lived, as Northern Illinois got hot in the third inning. Seven straight Huskies recorded a hit and NIU rattled off 10 total on its way to 10 runs.
The Broncos fought back with four runs in the third and posted another in the fourth to put the score at 10-7. Galbraith, Dager and Lewis hit consecutive singles, Lewis driving in his second run of the game. With two outs, Cross belted his sixth home run of the season, a three-run shot to center field. Galbraith singled again in the fourth and scored on an RBI double by Pedro Dager.
Northern Illinois managed another run in the top of the fifth and added five more in the sixth and two in the seventh to go up by double digits, 18-7.
Western Michigan didn't score again until the bottom of the eighth, when Galbraith hit a solo blast to center field. The Broncos plated its last run on off a leadoff double and three walks in the bottom of the ninth.
Galbraith ended the day 4-for-5 at the plate, with three runs scored. Matthew Abro had a pair of doubles.
NIU finished out with three runs in the top of the ninth. Freshman Alex Jones was the big bat for the Huskies in the game, going 5-for-7 with eight RBIs and three runs scored. He hit two triples and doubled once.
Billy Morrison (2-9) took the loss on the mound for Western Michigan, lasting just two and one-thirds innings. Chuck Lukanen (7-6) earned the win for NIU.
Western Michigan drops to 13-34 on the season, 8-17 in the Mid-American Conference. The Huskies improve their record to 18-33, 9-15 MAC. The two return to Robert J. Bobb Stadium Friday for a 1 p.m. contest and face off in the final game of the season for both teams Saturday at 1 p.m.
