KALAMAZOO, Mich.- Western Michigan baseball earned its first Mid-American Conference victory on Sunday afternoon defeating Miami, 9-5, in game three of its weekend series at Robert J. Bobb Stadium.
WMU collected 12 hits producing nine runs with five Broncos registering multi-hit games. Junior Hunter Prince was the catalyst for the offense going 2-for-5 with two doubles, three RBIs and one run scored. Junior Kurt Hoekstra extended his hitting streak to eight games after going 2-for-3 with two RBIs.
The Broncos had to erase an early deficit in the bottom of the first after giving up four runs on four hits in the top half of the inning. Junior Drew Farmer sparked the rally with a single to left center field followed by sophomore Nick Vogelmeier lacing a single through the right side of the infield. Great base running from Farmer had runners on the corners with no outs.
Junior Kurt Hoekstra roped a single into center field the next at bat cutting into the Miami lead. Prince scored both Hoekstra and Vogelmeier on a two-run double, inching the Broncos closer at 4-3 after the first.
WMU broke the game open in the bottom of the third scoring five runs on four hits while sending eight batters to the plate. After a leadoff walk by sophomore Grant Miller, the Broncos exploded for three straight RBI hits, including back-to-back doubles by Prince and Caleb Caton. WMU pushed one more run across in the bottom of the fifth, extending its lead to 9-4.
With two outs in the top of the ninth, the RedHawks made their best effort to start a comeback as an RBI double by Miami catcher Max Andresen cut into the WMU lead at 9-5. However that is all Miami got as a groundout to Hoekstra ended the game and gave WMU their first MAC victory of the season.
Senior RHP Will Nimke earned the victory in relief throwing 4.1 innings, allowing no runs and just four hits, striking out two. Freshmen Peyton Gray and Josh Bays went a combined four innings allowing three hits and no runs while striking out three.
The Brown & Gold will travel to Athens, Ohio for a three-game series against the Bobcats, March 27-29.
