KENT, Ohio - Gracie Barstad went 5-for-8 (.625), including her first home run of the season as Western Michigan had three batters hit over .500 in the Broncos' split at Kent State in Friday's Mid-American Conference doubleheader. Barstad now has eight career home runs, moving her into a tie for sixth on the career list at WMU.
Western Michigan racked up 20 hits on Friday, 10 in each game as the Broncos opened their road MAC season with an 8-6 win over the Golden Flashes, who had been undefeated through four conference games, before falling, 5-4, in the nightcap.
Staking KSU to a 3-0 lead in game one, WMU started its comeback in the top of the second inning. Courtney Rousseau, who was 3-for-6 on the day, belted her third double of the season down the left field line to lead things off. She advanced to third on Myranda McDonald's sacrifice bunt and scored on Allie Carlson's infield single. Carlson scored later in the inning when Meredith Whitney singled through the left side.
Kent State added a run in the home half of the second but WMU matched and raised the Flashes' one run with two in the top of the third. The Broncos loaded the bases with one out on Barstad's hit to left center, and a pair of walks for Rousseau and McDonald. Kayla Houston hit her third double of the season to drive in both runs, tying the score at four runs apiece.
Houston picked up her sixth win in the circle with her 10th complete game of the season. She gave up just four earned runs, while striking out nine and going 2-for-3 at the plate.
The Broncos' break out inning came in the top of the fifth when WMU scored four runs on three hits and two costly KSU errors. Barstad led off with a single. Rousseau and McDonald each reached base on errors. The result of the error that put McDonald on base was Barstad crossing home plate. Michelle Bendewald collected one of her two hits for the game, scoring Rousseau. Whitney collected her second hit on an infield single, scoring pinch runner Christina Pigozzi. Lexi Jager capped the scoring with a sac fly to bring home Houston who had drew a walk earlier in the inning.
WMU grabbed the early lead in game two when Whitney scored on a Barstad ground out, but Kent State scored three runs in the home half of the first for the second time and never relinquished the lead. WMU added a run in the top of the third on a Rousseau base hit but the Flashes answered with two more in the bottom of the frame.
The Broncos pulled back to within a run on back-to-back home runs from Tara Buchanan and Barstad. Buchanan's shot, on a 1-0 offering, was to straight away center field and raised her team leading total to five for the season. Barstad's was sent over the left field wall and came on a 1-1 pitch.
WMU had a runner in both the sixth and seventh innings, first on Bendwald's two-out single to right field in the sixth and then on Barstad's team-leading sixth double to right field with two outs in the seventh, but both runners were stranded.
Western Michigan travels to Buffalo for a two-game series with the Bulls on Saturday and Sunday. The two teams split their season series in 2010 with WMU claiming a 6-0 victory in the first game of a doubleheader in Kalamazoo on April 2, 2010.
