AKRON, Ohio - Western
Michigan hit three home runs in a game for the sixth time in program
history to defeat Ball State, 8-4, to advance to the semifinal of the
Mid-American Conference Tournament. Meredith Whitney and Courtney
Rousseau hit two-run and three-run blasts, respectively, in the fourth
to give WMU the lead for good. Gracie Barstad also hit her second home
run on the first pitch she saw in the sixth inning to cap the scoring
for the Broncos.
After Amanda Montalto hit a two-run base hit in the top of the fourth,
Allie Carlson led off the home half of the fourth with a walk on a 3-2
pitch. Courtney Burnett pinch ran for Carlson and after Michelle
Bendewald flied out to center field, Whitney took BSU's Audra Sanders
deep to left field for her fifth home run of the season and 13th of her
career. The HR put WMU just one run behind the Cardinals, 4-3. Tara
Buchanan followed with an infield single and Gracie Barstad ripped a
shot to center field, setting the table for Rousseau.
Rousseau took a first-pitch ball and followed with a foul ball before
crushing her third home run of the season over the left field wall to
give the Broncos the lead for good, 6-4. Rousseau went 3-for-4 with a
run scored and three RBIs. Whitney went 2-for-4 with two RBIs with a
run scored as well. Defensively, Rousseau gave it her all as well,
flying over the wall in foul territory in an attempt to secure an out.
All was quiet for both WMU and Ball State in the fifth inning but that
changed in the bottom of the sixth. Lexi Jager, who had a
game-changing diving catch in foul territory in the top of the sixth,
led off with a base hit. Buchanan popped up to second base for the
first out of the inning but Barstad took the first pitch she saw to
left field to tack on two insurance runs.
Ball State scored a pair of runs in the top of the second to open up a
2-0 lead but Carlson, with a great piece of base running, helped force
one of three Cardinals errors in the bottom of the second to score a
run, cutting BSU's lead in half.
Whitney threw 167 pitches in her 13th win of the year and now has
thrown 311 pitches over two games thus far in the MAC Tournament. WMU
will play either (2) Ohio or (6) Central Michigan in the semifinal on
Friday at 5 p.m.
WMU vs. BSU Photo Gallery
WMU Coach Kathy Leitke Video
