TEMPE, Ariz. - The Western Michigan softball team fell, 5-0, to Utah and, 5-4, to New Mexico on day two of the Kajikawa Classic.
The Broncos played late into the Arizona night but were denied their first win the 2012 campaign. WMU's best chance came against New Mexico, opening the game with a 2-0 lead and holding a 4-2 advantage heading into the sixth inning.
Tara Buchanan hit her ninth home run as a Bronco in the bottom of the first, scoring Courtney Rousseau to give Western Michigan its first runs of the season. Buchanan moved into a tie with Samantha Vargocko and former teammate Michelle Bendewald for seventh on the career HR list with the blast.
WMU had chances in each of the following innings, stranding at least one runner on the base paths. The Broncos capitalized in the fourth and fifth innings to take the lead back after the Lobos scored a pair in the top of the fourth.
Christina Pigozzi put WMU back on top, 3-2, in the bottom of the fourth, with a single to score pinch runner Jenny Rohn. Seniors Meredith Whitney and Rousseau collaborated for WMU's fourth and final run the of game in the top of the fifth. Whitney led the frame off with a double to left center field and Rousseau followed with and RBI single to center. She was thrown out at second as she tried to stretch the single into her second double of the tournament.
New Mexico manufactured a run in the sixth to cut WMU's advantage in half. Three of the first four batters of the inning registered singles to bring the Lobos' third run home with one out. UNM tied the score in the same fashion in the seventh but took the lead for good by taking a chance.
With a runner on third base, the Lobos' Jessica Dujan-Dresslar fouled out to right field but it was deep enough to send Shenise Cox home for the eventual winning run.
Whitney and Pigozzi each collected two hits in the loss to New Mexico. Becca Shemberger earned her first career start in the circle as a Bronco, working the entire game and registering eight strikeouts.
The Broncos opened the day with a 5-0 loss to Utah as the Utes scored first on an infield single but then used home runs from Whitney Holm and Katelyn Elliott to take down Western Michigan.
Jennifer Tschetter, Elisha Handshoe and Buchanan collected hits for WMU in the loss to Utah. Whitney fanned seven batters to join Bonni Kinne as the only WMU pitchers to reach 500 career K's. Whitney now stands at 505 career punch outs.
WMU continues at the Kajikawa Classic on Saturday with Cal-State Northridge at 1:30 p.m. EST followed by Bradley at 8:30 p.m. EST.
