Clearwater, Fla.- Western Michigan defeated St. Bonaventure 6-4 but dropped their second contest of the day against Providence 11-0 at the USF Under Armour Invitational this afternoon. The Broncos are now 6-7 on the year 3-1 in the USF Under Armour Invitational with wins over Cornell, Villanova and St. Bonaventure. 

“We had an exciting first day,” said Head Coach Kathy Leitke. “We had strong pitching and defense, we were also able to manufacture runs.”

The Broncos have scored twenty runs through the first four games of the invitational while only giving up 15 to their opponents, 11 of those runs came against Providence. WMU has recorded 13 extra base hits, 15 walks and a .515 slugging percentage in the four games. The pitching staff has a 3.04 ERA and struck out 16 while only giving up six extra base hits.  

Game 1: St. Bonaventure

Western Michigan's offense continued to produce runs as it did the previous two games of the invitational. Against St. Bonaventure of the six runs the Broncos scored, four came off of solo homeruns. Melissa Palmer started things off with her first at-bat, going deep to left field to put the Brown and Gold up 1-0 quickly. Courtney Sleeman hit her first homerun of the game in the second inning to extend the lead to 3-1 WMU. The Bobbies fought back though and scored one in third and two in the fifth to take 4-3 lead. Kelsea Cichocki was first to the plate for the Broncos in the bottom of the fifth and battled a full count, fouling off four pitches before getting the one she could send over the left field wall to tie up the game.

Senior Allyson Kus came in to relieve Freshman Jordan Kurth after four and two thirds innings. Kus pitched a shutout the rest of the way allowing only one hit and one walk while striking out three. Kurth dished out nine ground-outs in the game. In the sixth inning Sleeman hit her second homerun of the day to give the Broncos a 5-4 advantage. Palmer who went 2-for-2 with two walks, singled in the sixth and was able to advance to second on a wild pitch. Cichocki sent her home with a double down the right field line to push the Broncos lead to 6-4. Kus picked up the win and is now 4-3 on the year with 1.93 ERA.

Game 2: Providence

The Broncos struggled in the second game of the day against Providence which started forty minutes late due to a delayed ruling on a homerun in the game against St, Bonaventure. The Friars won the game 11-0 in five innings. The Broncos recorded two hits in the contest and two errors. Kus picked up the loss allowing three earned runs. The power the Broncos bats had in the first game did not transition to the second.

“We didn't manufacture runs,” said Leitke. “In the first game we relied on our power and I thought not being able to manufacture runs got the better of us in the second game.”

“Tomorrow we need to bring focus to the field,” Leitke said. “We have to get back to what we did yesterday and put it all together pitching, hitting and fielding that is what it takes to win.”

The Broncos return to action tomorrow at 9:00 a.m. ET against College of Charleston.