Softball May 07, 2009 Mat Kanan, director of athletic media relations

Bronco Bats Beat Bobcats, 6-1

AKRON, Ohio - Western Michigan softball avenged its season-ending loss to Ohio a year ago with a 6-1 victory over the Bobcats to open the 2009 Mid-American Conference Softball Tournament at Firestone Stadium in Akron, Ohio. Lexi Jager became only the fifth Bronco to hit two home runs in a game. The Broncos advance to face (2) Kent State at 7:15 p.m. Thursday evening.

Three of WMU's six runs came off Jager's bat and two more were scored on an extra-base hit by Meredith Whitney (2-for-3) in the bottom of the sixth. With runners on first and second and no one out, Ohio decided to intentionally walk Jager to load the bases and get to Whitney. Whitney delivered with her sixth double of the season and Jager later scored on a 5-3 ground out by Brittney Reist.

Whitney escaped two walks in the top of the first inning, the first MAC Tournament pitches thrown of her career. Ohio had runners on second and third base with one out. Emily Wethington was Whitney's first strike out victim and the threat was avoided when Mandi Sayres went back to her right to snag a pop out, ending the inning. The Broncos' first two batters went down before Jager (2-for-3) faced a 3-1 offering from Melissa Bonner. The Kalamazoo native added to her new single-season and career home run record with a blast, her ninth of the year and 14th of her career, over the left field wall to give WMU the early lead, 1-0.

The Bobcats threatened again in the top of the second. Ohio collected a pair of two-out base hits and Alexis Zambrana earned a two-out walk to load the bases. Shalene Petrich stepped to the plate and again Sayres made the defensive play to end an inning. She ranged to her right on the hard hit grounder and flipped the ball out of her glove hand to second baseman Amanda McBride, who hit the bag before Zambrana to the second frame.

The Broncos went to work to add a second run on the board in the bottom of the second when Michelle Bendewald and McBride hit back-to-back singles, one to right field and the next to left, with one out in the inning. Whitney was sat down on strikes and Sayres was not able to plate WMU's second run, flying out to center field.

The bottom of the third was the Broncos' chance to load the bases. Whitney started things off with a one-out single and was followed by Reist's (2-for-4) base hit to right field. Gracie Barstad singled up the middle for WMU's third-straight hit. Pinch runner Chelsea Westenburg attempted to score from second base but Petrich came up throwing from center and gunned down Westenburg at the plate on a one hopper to Bobcat catcher, Jordan Paden. WMU loaded the bases on Kayla Houston's walk but Bendewald went down swinging to end the third.

Whitney settled in the third and fourth innings, setting down Ohio in order. WMU's offense put a base runner on for the fourth-straight inning when Sam Vargocko singled through the left side. Jager smacked her second home run of the game, taking a 2-1 pitch over the left field wall, to put Western Michigan up, 3-0, and become only the fifth Bronco in program history to hit two home runs in one game. She joins teammates Whitney and Vargocko as well as Lynette Nevins and Linda Harrall.

Western Michigan had at least one base runner in all six offensive innings when Vargocko led off the top of the sixth by being hit by a pitch. Conversely, Whitney took control in the circle after the first two innings, not allowing another base runner for the Bobcats the rest of the time she was in the game.