YPSILANTI, Mich.- Western Michigan fell on the road at Eastern Michigan Sunday, 11-10, dropping this weekend's three-game Mid-American Conference series against the Eagles one game to two.
The Broncos opened the series with a 2-1 victory Friday and Eastern Michigan pulled off one-run wins Saturday (7-6) and Sunday. WMU's record stands at 11-15 on the season and 4-5 in league play. The Eagles improved to 12-18, 4-5 MAC.
Senior right fielder
Jared Kujawa went 3-for-5 on the day with a three-run home run in the top of the first. Junior second baseman
Kurt Hoekstra was 2-for-5 with three runs scored and smashed a two-run home run in the fifth. It was Kujawa's team-leading fourth home run of the season and Hoekstra's second.
Western Michigan led 3-2 after one inning of play and fell behind when Eastern Michigan put six runs on the board in the third. The Broncos cut the deficit to 8-7 with four runs in the top of the fifth. EMU went on to plate two runs in the bottom half of the inning and added another run in the sixth to build its lead back up to four. Western Michigan scored three runs to pull within one again in the seventh, but fell short of a comeback.
Bronco left-hander pitcher
Keegan Akin (2-2) lasted just an inning and a third. Junior
Pat Haynes was the first of seven Bronco pitchers to appear out of the bullpen and went 2.2 innings.
Peyton Gray and
Josh Bays each threw a scoreless inning of relief. Eastern Michigan totaled a season-high 16 hits in the game.
Sophomore
Beau Filkins started at third base and hit his first career triple in the fifth, driving in designated hitter
Evan Nelson who reached on a leadoff walk. Filkins scored on an RBI single by shortstop
Nick Vogelmeier.
Freshman center fielder
Tanner Allison drove in a run with his second triple of the season in the seventh. Junior left fielder
Drew Farmer also picked up an RBI in the inning with a bases-loaded walk.
John Rubino led Eastern Michigan with four hits and two RBIs. LHP Kyle Huckaby earned the win on the mound, tossing 1.1 scoreless innings of relief. Sam Delaplane recorded the save for the second day in a row.
Western Michigan travels to Big Ten rival Michigan State this upcoming Wednesday, April, 8, looking to defeat the Spartans for the first time since 2011. After playing eight games on the road, WMU will return to the friendly confines of Robert J. Bobb Stadium April 10-12, hosting Toledo Rockets.
