CLEARWATER, Fla. -The Western Michigan softball team split its opening day at the Under Armour Invitational hosted by the University of South Florida. The Broncos defeated Quinnipiac, 5-3, but fell in extra innings to Florida International, 4-3. Tara Buchanan 4-for-6 on the day.
Western Michigan scored four runs in the bottom of the first and set the stage for the Broncos' 5-3 win over Quinnipiac. Courtney Rousseau led off the the game with a single and stole second. Diana Patterson drew a walk and advanced to second base on Gracie Barstad's ground out. Rousseau scored on a passed ball from third base to open the scoring.
Tara Buchanan doubled to bring home Patterson, collecting one of her two hits against Quinnipiac. Michelle Bendewald hit an infield single, putting pinch runner Courtney Burnett at third. Burnett scored when Lexi Jager reached on an error. Meredith Whitney collected two RBIs during the game with her first coming in the first inning, reaching on an error to score Bendewald and give WMU a 4-0 lead.
Whitnedy collected her first win of the season in the circle, pitching five innings with seven strikeouts. Quinnipiac scored three runs in the top of the fifth and sixth innings (one in the fifth and two in the sixth).
The Broncos added an insurance run in the bottom of the sixth when Whitney singled to right field to score Barstad who led off the inning with a base hit up the middle.
The Broncos battled through eight innings against Florida International but fell, 4-3, in Friday's second game. The two teams matched run output in the first inning, each scoring two runs apiece. The Broncos took a one-run lead in the third on Jager's single to left field. WMU carried the 3-2 lead into the seventh but the Panthers scratched out a run in each of the seventh and eighth innings.
Rousseau, Barstad, Jager and Buchanan all collected hits against FIU with Barstad, Buchanan and Jager registering RBIs. Th Broncos play Loyola-Marymount and Bethune-Cookman on Saturday at 5:30 p.m. and 8 p.m.
