NASHVILLE, Tenn. - Sophomore Sabrina Gamboa went 4-for-7 with three doubles and a home run, slugging 1.429, as Western Michigan softball split games against Tennessee State and Temple on day two of the TSU Tiger Classic.
The Broncos opened Saturday with a tilt against tournament host Tennessee State, earning a 3-2 win. They jumped ahead early thanks in part to the first of Gamboa's two doubles against the Tigers. The two-bagger put runners in scoring position for WMU and Caity Pixley put WMU's first run of the game on the board on a ground out to second base, scoring Melissa Palmer who led of the game with an infield single.
Two innings later the Broncos posted another two runs, again off the bat of Gamboa as she registered her second double to score Ivy Schaaf, who reached on an error to lead off the frame, and Palmer, who had her second of two infield base hits.
Gamboa's second double of the game gave her two doubles in a game in two of the last three games. She and Megan Stamm accomplished the feat in 14-2 win over Dayton to open the tournament. She and Stamm are the only two Broncos on the current roster to have two doubles in a game twice in their respective careers.
Allyson Kus made those three runs stand up as she collected her fourth win of the year, surpassing her 2013 total of three victories. She allowed just one earned run in her fifth complete game of the season. Kus set a new career best in strikeouts with six against the Tigers.
In the night cap, a rematch with Temple, Western Michigan took a 4-3 lead into the bottom of the sixth but the Owls scratched out five unearned runs to come away with am 8-4 victory, their second over WMU in as many days.
WMU jumped out to 2-0 lead after Palmer recorded her third infield single of the day, scoring Schaaf after she reach on a walk and stole second base. Mackenzie Ritsema singled to center field to score Palmer.
After the Owls took the lead with three runs in the home half of the third Gamboa tied the game in the top of the fourth with a lead-off solo home run. The Broncos took the lead back in the sixth on Loren Nagy's base hit up the middle.
Kus looked to be on her way to her fifth win of the season before a pair of errors helped Temple to score five runs in the bottom of the sixth inning and earn a tournament sweep over the Broncos.
Western Michigan closes out its stay in Nashville against Youngstown State at 10 a.m. ET/9 a.m. CT.
