KALAMAZOO, Mich.- Western Michigan defeated Toledo 6-4 Friday to take game one of this weekend's three-game Mid-American Conference series. WMU evened its conference record at 5-5 and improved to 12-16 on the year.

Junior center fielder Drew Farmer led WMU offensively, going 3-for-4 with two doubles, an RBI and a run scored. Junior catcher Brett Sunde also had three hits, while sophomore third baseman Grant Miller went 2-for-2 with an RBI and a run scored. Miller was hit twice by a pitch in the game, bringing his season HBP total to 15, one shy of the single season record of 16 set last season by former shortstop Andrew Sohn.

Western Michigan had several highlight plays defensively in the field. Miller showed off his arm at third twice in the bottom of the ninth, making an impressive play against the leadoff batter on a hard hit ball down the line and then helping to turn a game-ending 5-4-3 double play.

WMU entered the weekend ranked in the top 15 in the nation in double plays per game and turned two against the Rockets Friday.

Junior southpaw Derek Schneider (2-1) was the winning pitcher, going six innings in the start, scattering five hits and yielding three runs. He struck out four and walked two.

Freshman reliever Josh Bays worked an inning out of the bullpen and freshman Peyton Gray came in to earn his first career save. Gray held Toledo scoreless and without a hit over the final two innings.

The Rockets took a 2-0 lead in the first when Jordan Kesson hit a two-out, two run single to center field.

Farmer smashed a two-out RBI single with two runners on for WMU in the fourth. Nick Vogelmeier came around to score and freshman Tanner Allison was also waved around third, but was thrown out at the plate for the third out of the inning.

Toledo tacked a run onto its total to take a 3-1 lead in the top of the fifth. Western Michigan responded with three runs in the bottom half of the inning and added another run in the sixth to pull ahead. 5-3.

The first four batters reached safely for Western Michigan in the fifth. Miller was hit by a pitch, Kurt Hoekstra walked, followed by back-to-back singles by Sunde and right fielder Jared Kujawa. Kujawa tallied an RBI, as did Tanner Allison with a fielder's choice in the inning. Farmer smoked a one-out double down the left line in the sixth, moved to third on a single by Miller and scored on a wild pitch.

The Rockets cut the deficit to one with a run in the seventh. Miller hit a sac fly in the bottom of the eighth to give Western Michigan an important insurance run.

Toledo starter Cameron Palmer (3-5) was tagged with the loss as he gave up four runs on nine hits in 5.0 innings on the mound. Palmer struck out six WMU batters and walked four.

Western Michigan and Toledo (10-22, 4-6 MAC) finish out the series with 1 p.m. games both Saturday and Sunday.