CLEARWATER, Fla. - The Broncos came from behind not once but twice to close out the USF Under Armour Showcase with a 12-10 victory over Massachusetts, a team that represented the Atlantic-10 in the 2012 NCAA Tournament.
The Broncos took a 2-0 lead when Sabrina Gamboa hit a two-run home run, scoring herself and Melissa Palmer, who led off the game with a single up the middle. UMass climbed out of the two-run hole to take a 4-2 lead into the top of the third. That was the first time WMU took back the lead.
Christina Pigozzi singled up the middle and Gamboa reached on an error. Lauren Nagy followed with a base-clearing double to right center field. Diana Patterson drew a one-out walk and Nagy advanced to third on a passed ball. Caity Pixley plated the third run of the inning on a sac fly to give Western Michigan a 5-4 lead.
Colleen Lynch scored on a passed ball in the top of the fourth to extend WMU's lead to 6-4 but Massachusetts wasn't done. UMass scored five runs on two singles and two triples, added one more in in the fifth to go up, 10-6.
WMU climbed two runs closer in the sixth inning. Palmer led off with a double, Pigozzi drew a walk and Gamboa followed with the inning's second double, advancing to third on a throwing error. Pigozzi and Palmer scored on the play.
For the second game in a row, WMU won a game in its last at bat, scoring four runs in the top of the fourth. Jenny Rohn led off the seventh with a base hit up the middle. Emma Bogart reached on an error. Megan Stamm advanced the runners on a sacrifice bunt. Palmer reached on fielder's choice but Rohn scored on the play. Gamboa drew a walk and stole second, setting the stage for Nagy's two-RBI single to left center field, giving WMU the lead for good.
Palmaer went 3-for-5 at the plate, while Gamboa (2-for-3), Nagy (2-for-5) and Rohn (2-for-3) all at multi-hit days at the plate. All RBIs were registered by freshmen for the Broncos with Nagy leading the way with four. Gamboa had three, while Palmer and Pixley each had one.
Earning the win in the circel, another freshman, was Allyson Kus. Kus was the third pitcher in the circle for WMU on Sunday, working 3.1 innings and striking out three, allowing just two earned runs on five hits.
Western Michigan travels to Champaign, Ill., for the Fighting Illini Invitational next weekend (March 15-17), its final early-season tournament to start 2013.
