ROCHESTER, Mich. - The Western Michigan softball team traveled to Oakland University for a mid-week doubleheader on Tuesday afternoon and came away with a split against the Golden Grizzlies. WMU scored a season-high 13 runs in the opener as Courtney Rousseau belted her first home run of the season en route to a career high six RBIs.
The Broncos scored early as Lexi Jager opened things with an infield single and later scored when Gracie Barstad reached on an error at first base. It was one of a career high four hits for Jager as the senior was 4-for-4 with three runs scored in the first game.
WMU opened the game up in the top of the third with six runs on six hits all coming with two outs in the inning. Jager collected her second infield single and Tara Buchanan followed with a walk on four-straight pitches. Barstad singled to first base, scoring Jager from second base. Myranda McDonald singled through the left side to set things up for Rousseau.
Facing an 0-1 count, the junior launched a shot over the wall for her first career grand slam and the Broncos second grand slam in the last three games. Kayla Houston followed with a double and later scored on Allie Carlson's base hit to left center field.
Western Michigan was not satisfied with a 7-0 lead, scoring four more runs in the top of the fourth. After Meredith Whitney reached on an error, Jager singled through the left side, as did Buchanan, scoring Whitney. Jager scored when McDonald reached on another Oakland error, one of six during the game. Rousseau capped things with a two-out, two-RBI single up the middle.
The Broncos added two more insurance runs in the top of the fifth when Buchanan ripped a base hit back up the middle, scoring Elisha Handshoe and Jennifer Tschetter. Each had reached on errors.
Houston earned her fifth victory of the season, working 4.0 innings and allowing just two hits while striking out four batters.
The Golden Grizzlies salvaged a series split in the second game, claiming a 2-1 win. Allie Carlson collected her second RBI of the day, scoring Rousseau on a single to left field after the junior had led off the second inning with a walk and advanced to second on a passed ball.
Oakland evened the score in the home half of the fifth on a one-out triple with one aboard. The decisive run came in the bottom of the sixth when another triple led off the inning for Oakland, resulting in the final run of the game on a sacrifice fly.
Western Michigan brought the winning run to the plate in the top of the seventh but could not get a run to cross the plate after Tschetter had led of the inning with single to left field and ended up at second on a sacrifice bunt by Carlson.
The Broncos travel to Kent State for a doubleheader on April 8 followed by a trip to Buffalo for a two-game series on April 9-10.
