MOUNT PLEASANT, Mich.- Junior right-handed pitcher Chad Mayle threw a two-hit shutout for the second straight weekend and the Bronco offense got charged up late in the game, defeating Central Michigan, 8-0, Friday.
The Bronco victory evens the series with the Chippewas and keeps Western Michigan's Mid-American Conference Tournament hopes alive. WMU is one of four teams fighting to claim one of the final eight tourament seeds Saturday.
Western Michigan (22-28, 11-15 MAC) and Central Michigan (34-21, 18-8 MAC) settle the series tomorrow in the regular season finale with a 2:05 first pitch from Theunissen Stadium.
Mayle improved his record to 6-5 on the year, throwing his third complete game of the season. It was his second straight shutout, also holding Toledo scoreless and to just two hits last weekend on the road.
Mayle struck out three Chippewas Friday and allowed just singles in the fourth and the ninth. Central Michigan entered the contest with the fourth-highest batting average in league play, hitting .288 before facing Mayle.
Central Michigan left-handed starter Matt Trowbridge kept Western Michigan off the scoreboard through the first five innings. A two-out, two run single by Bronco junior Jared Kujawa in the sixth gave WMU a 2-0 lead and Trowbridge would not return in the seventh. Western Michigan had bases loaded when Kujawa stepped to the plate. Junior shortstop Andrew Sohn collected a single in between walks by freshman Grant Miller and sophomore Brett Sunde.
Western Michigan tallied another run in the seventh and put the game out of reach, piling on five runs in the top of the ninth. Senior Dan Shutes singled to lead off the seventh and crossed the plate on a two-out single by Miller through the left side.
The Broncos batted through the lineup in the ninth as the team collected four hits, two walks and a hit-by-pitch. Sophomore first baseman Hunter Prince ignited the barrage with a lead off double. Kurt Hoekstra picked up a hit and an RBI on a successful squeeze bunt. Sohn later delivered a bases-loaded single and Brandon Cable chalked up an RBI drawing a walk with the bags still full. Kujawa capped the hit parade with his second two-run single of the ball game.
Seven different Western Michigan players collected a hit and the team totaled 10 on the afternoon. Kujawa finished 2-for-4 with four RBIs. Sohn went 3-for-5 with a RBI and a run scored.
