Box Score TOLEDO, Ohio – Junior Keegan Akin tossed 7.0 shutout innings as the Western Michigan baseball team topped Toledo 3-1 in extra innings Friday afternoon at the Scott Park Complex in game one of a three-game series.
The Broncos scored all three runs in the top of the 10th inning including a clutch two-run double by senior Hunter Prince. The Rockets brought the winning run to the plate in the bottom of the 10th inning, but sophomore Jake Bartels came in to stop the Toledo threat.
The Broncos, who were coming off an extra inning loss to Eastern Michigan last Sunday, improve to 12-25 overall and 5-8 in the Mid-American Conference (MAC) and have won three of their past four games. The Rockets fall to 9-32 overall and 4-9 in the MAC.
Akin has continued his streak of pitching more than 5.0 innings in all 12 of his starts this season. His final line read 7.0 innings, two hits, zero runs, two walks and nine strikeouts as he faced just two over the minimum. He retired 10 of the first 11 batters he faced. Sophomore Jacob Piechota (6-3) earned the win, pitching 2.2 innings allowing three hits and one run with two strikeouts. Bartels picked up his third save of the season, which leads the team.
In the top of the 10th inning, junior Nick Vogelmeier hit a two-out single to right field to put the go-ahead run on base. Junior Steve Pastora was hit by the next pitch and junior Grant Miller ripped a ball right at the first baseman to advance the runners. Prince delivered the big two-run double down the left field line and freshman Jesse Forestell drove in a third insurance run with a single to left center field.
Toledo brought runners to first and second after already scoring a run in the bottom of the 10th, but Bartels entered and forced a groundout to end the game.
As a team, the Broncos had 11 hits as Prince finished 3-for-5 with two RBI and Vogelmeier went 3-for-5 with a run. Forestell went 2-for-4 with an RBI. Alex Goodwin had a double and junior Grant Miller as well as freshman Nate Grys each had a single.
The Broncos and Rockets are set to square off on Saturday, April 30 and Sunday, May 1 with each game scheduled for 1 p.m. Follow the Broncos on Twitter @WMUBaseball for all updates about the team!
