EMERSON, Ga.- Western Michigan took both games of Saturday's doubleheader, 11-7, 10-0, to complete a three-game series sweep over UT-Martin. The Broncos improve to 3-3 on the season and head to Clarksville, Tenn., next weekend for four games at the Governors Classic, hosted by Austin Peay.
Junior shortstop Kurt Hoekstra fueled the sweep over the Skyhawks, batting .643 (9-for-14) over the weekend with two triples, four RBIs, five runs scored, a pair of walks and two stolen bases. He collected six hits on Saturday and drove in four runs during game one of the doubleheader.
Junior RHP Gabe Berman (1-0) earned the win in game one, throwing 2.2 innings of relief. Freshman LHP Tanner Allison (1-1) made his first career start in game two and picked up the win. He held UTM to two hits over 5.1 scoreless innings and struck out four. Allison started game one in center field, where he batted 3-for-5 with two runs scored and an RBI.
The Broncos had 27 hits between the two games of the doubleheader.
GAME 1: WMU 11, UTM 7
Western Michigan powered past UT-Martin in game one of Saturday's doubleheader, 11-7. The Broncos scored a run in the first and five more in the second to open a 6-1 lead through two innings. UTM scored six unanswered over their next five at bats to pull ahead, 7-6, but the Broncos shot back with five runs in the bottom of the eighth to take the 11-7 victory.
Hoekstra went 4-for-5 in the game with two triples and four RBIs. He fueled the five-run comeback in the eighth with a bases-clearing triple.
Sophomore second baseman Nick Vogelmeier had three hits and smacked his first career triple in the first. He went on to score on a single by Brett Sunde. Vogelmeier also drove in two runs with a single in the second.
Western Michigan racked up a season-high 15 hits in the game. Hunter Prince doubled in the second and had an RBI single in the eighth. Allison had three hits, cracking an RBI double in the second. Sunde finished with one hit and two RBIs.
Senior RHP Chad Mayle started on the mound and went 6.1 innings, allowing five runs and eight hits. He walked three and struck out two. Junior LHP Derek Schneider was called from the bullpen in the seventh, but was unable to record an out and was replaced by Berman.
Berman walked the first batter he faced in the seventh to intentionally load the bases and then struck out Luis Paublini for a second out. With two away Matt Hirsch delivered a two-run single for the Skyhawks to put UTM ahead, 7-6.
Berman got out of the seventh with a strikeout and went on to retire the side in the top of the eighth, giving the offense a chance to regain the lead in the bottom half of the inning. Berman allowed a pair of one-out singles in the ninth, but closed out the victory with a strikeout and a popout for his first win (1-0) of the season.
GAME 2: WMU 10, UTM 0
Allison teamed up with relievers Will Nimke, Jacob Piechota and Peyton Gray to post a combined four-hit shutout in game two. Nimke did not allow a hit over 1.2 innings. Piechota and Gray each threw an inning and yielded just one hit. All three relievers recorded a strikeout. Allison sat UTM down in order in the second, third and fourth innings.
Sophomore third baseman Grant Miller had the hot bat in game two, going 3-for-3 with two doubles and four RBIs. Hoekstra and Sunde each had two hits and five other Broncos collected one apiece. WMU ripped five doubles in the game.
WMU got on the board in the second with a bases loaded walk by Tyler Frank, who had one of those doubles and three RBIs.
The Broncos piled on five runs in the third and three more in the fourth to go up 9-0. Western Michigan scored its final run in the seventh. Freshman designated hitter Evan Nelson hit a two-run single in the third and Miller plated two with a double down the left field line. Miller drove in all three of WMU's runs in the fourth with a bases-loaded double. Sunde scorched an RBI double in the seventh.
