Box Score PORT CHARLOTTE, Fla. -- Senior
Derek Schneider had a masterful start for the Western Michigan baseball team against North Dakota State Saturday morning, but the Bison used a late inning rally to steal the game from the Broncos 4-2. WMU falls to 1-12 this season while the Bison improve to 9-4.
"We played great defense this week as we have all year," head coach Billy Gernon said. "We just have to find some consistency in our bullpen and continue to improve offensively. Schneider was outstanding and although we are 1-12, I find myself extremely optimistic."
Schneider's final line read 7.0 innings, two hits, six strikeouts and two walks while facing just four batters over the minimum (21). After he allowed back-to-back walks in the top of the second inning, he retired 13 of the next 14 batters he faced. It was the second time this season a Bronco starting pitcher went 7.0 innings or more.
The Broncos took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the fourth inning where Hunter Prince led off with a shot down the left field line for a double. After freshman Jesse Forestell sacrificed Prince over to third, freshman Jimmy Roche laid down a perfect squeeze bunt to score Prince, giving Roche his fourth RBI in the last two games.
WMU added an insurance run in the bottom of the seventh inning off two hits and the help of a wild pitch. With two outs in the inning, Nick Vogelmeier hit a bunt single to third base, stole second base and then advanced to third on a wild pitch. Senior Drew Farmer drew a walk to put runners at the corners and Grant Miller came through with a single to left field to score Vogelmeier and make it 2-0.
The Bison used an eighth inning rally to come back and take a 4-2 lead with five hits, all of which came without an out. NDSU had four straight singles with one out and a double to Evan Nelson in left field, who was blinded by the sun with the ball in the air. The Bison also scored one run on a sacrifice fly in the inning.
Jacob Piechota (1-1) suffered the loss, while sophomore Jake Bartels entered to throw a scoreless 2.2 innings to end the game. Luke Lind (3-0) earned the win for NDSU while Sean Terres earned his third save this season.
Miller finished 3-for-4 with an RBI and now leads the team with 20 hits, four more than Vogelmeier in second place. Vogelmeier, Nelson, Prince and Connor Smith all had one hit in the contest. The hits went even at 8-8, while the Broncos drew three walks and the Bison drew two.
WMU returns to action with a home double-header against Bowling Green in nonconference play. Weather permitting; the double-header will start at 1 p.m. on Saturday, March 19 and Sunday, March 20. Both teams have a turf field ready for use if weather should be an issue.
