KALAMAZOO, Mich.- Western Michigan softball handed visiting Miami a 9-4 loss and a 4-0 shutout, sweeping the RedHawks in Friday's Mid-American Conference doubleheader.
Western Michigan totaled 25 hits for the day and had a home run in each contest. Freshman second baseman Ivy Schaaf set the tone in game one, unloading a two-out grand slam over the fence in straightaway center field in the second to give WMU a 4-0 advantage. She had two hits in the game, while Loren Nagy, Kelsea Cichocki and Jenny Rohn each went 3-for-4.
After going down in order the first two innings, Miami managed a run in the top of the third to cut the deficit to 4-1. Junior Megan Stamm responded with a two-run double in the home at bat to put WMU ahead 6-1.
The RedHawks made a final push with three runs in the sixth to briefly pull within two, 6-4, but the Broncos again countered in the bottom half of the inning, plating three of their own. Cichocki, Sabrina Gamboa and Rohn each drove in a run.
In game two, Stamm broke open a scoreless game with a two-run home run to left center in the bottom of the fifth. WMU went on to add two more runs in what would be the only scoring inning for either team.
With the bases loaded, Cichocki hit a slow roller to the left side of the infield. Miami third baseman Remy Edwards went for the force out at home, but WMU's Emma Bogart slid in to beat the throw. Rohn followed with an RBI single to center field.
Melissa Palmer had four of WMU's 10 hits in game two, going 4-for-4. Marlee Wilson was 2-for-3 and Gamboa had a double.
Sophomore southpaw Allyson Kus (10-13) earned the win on the mound in game one, hurling seven complete innings. She struck out three and scattered seven hits, allowing four runs - three earned. Kus also threw two innings of hitless relief in game two.
Freshman right-hander Erin Binkowski gave up just four hits and pitched five shutout innings in game two to pick up her third win of the season.
Western Michigan (13-24, 4-4 MAC) returns to Fran Ebert Field tomorrow and will host Ball State in a doubleheader beginning at 2 p.m. The teams were scheduled to split the games between Saturday and Sunday, but opted to play both on Saturday due to inclement weather expected to hit the area late in the weekend.
