EVANSVILLE, Ind.- For the second time in the three-game series, Western Michigan watched Evansville erase a sizable deficit in the bottom of the ninth, falling 8-7 to the Purple Aces.
Evansville trailed by five runs in game one Friday and went on to beat WMU, 11-10, in 10 innings. In Sunday's game three, Evansville scored four runs in the bottom of the ninth to stun the Broncos. Western Michigan took the middle game of the series Saturday, 5-1.
"We gave the game away, simple as that," said WMU head coach Billy Gernon. "To surrender a five-run lead and a three-run lead, both in the ninth inning, is very concerning. I hope our players are as concerned and will take their game to another level and start pitching with more conviction and determination as we have great potential.
"Our bullpen needs to figure some things out quick as our offense is coming on strong. We are getting quality starts, but our bullpen has underachieved thus far."
Western Michigan scored first Sunday on a solo home run by Ryan McMillin in the second inning, his second long ball of the season. The Purple Aces used three consecutive singles to tie the game in the bottom of the third.
Vinnie Booker belted his first career home run in the fifth, a two-run shot left field to put WMU back on top, 3-1. Kevin Kaczmarski kept UE within one, scoring in the bottom of the sixth after hitting a leadoff triple.
WMU extended its lead to two with a run in the top of the seventh, only to have Evansville knot the game at 4-4 in the bottom of the inning. Jordan Tillman hit a leadoff single, moved up a bag when Booker was hit by a pitch and scored on an RBI single by Zach Thoma.
Evansville scored both runs in the bottom of the seventh with two outs. Freshman Matt Nestor was called out of the bullpen to replace reliever Monty Porter. Nestor plunked a batter then issued a walk, forcing Gernon to call for Troy Forton. Forton walked the first batter he faced to load the bases then gave up a two-run single before he could get out of the inning.
The Broncos got the lead back with a run in the top of the eighth and added two more in the top of the ninth to go up three, 7-4. Jared Kujawa, Forton and Nick Bradley (RBI) all singled in the eighth. Thoma walked to lead off the ninth, and then with one out, McMillin, Kujawa and Patrick Duncan strung together three singles, Kujawa and Duncan's hits each plating a run.
After sitting down the side in the eighth, Forton struggled in the ninth, hitting two batsman, giving up an RBI single and throwing a wild pitch. Patrick Borlik was summoned out of the bullpen to replace Forton. Borlik walked the first Purple Ace he saw, loading the bases, then allowed a two-run double to Trentt Copeland, as UE tied the game, 7-7. The Broncos intentionally walked Chris Pearson, looking for a double play and got the ground ball they needed, turning a 5-2-3 double play. With two outs, Tim Bodine dropped a walk-off RBI single out of the each of Tillman in center field for the comeback win.
WMU used five pitchers in the game and Borlik (1-2) was handed the loss. Will Nimke had a quality start, going five innings and allowing just one run and five hits. Porter was the first out of the bullpen and gave up one run in 1.2 innings. Nestor (two runs), Forton (three runs) and Borlik (one run) gave up six of the final eight runs.
Offensively, McMillin and Kujawa each batted 3-for-5, while Booker and Duncan were 2-for-4. Booker and McMillin extended their concurrent hitting streaks to 11 games.
Reliever Josh Biggs (1-0) earned the win for Evansville, recording the final out of the eighth and tossing the top of the ninth. UE improved to 13-7 on the season and won the series, 2-1. WMU's record fell to 7-10.
The Broncos host Bowling Green this upcoming weekend, March 23-25, to begin Mid-American Conference play. Game one Friday begins at 3 p.m., followed by 1 p.m. contests on both Saturday and Sunday.
