PORT CHARLOTTE, Fla. – The Western Michigan baseball team's potent offense exploded against Northeastern Friday afternoon at the Snowbird Classic, as the Broncos pounded out 17 hits and topped the Huskies 14-7. WMU trailed 7-6 heading into the bottom of the eighth inning, where the Broncos scored eight runs as 13 batters came to the plate in the inning.

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The Broncos improved to 6-6 and have now won four of their last five with one final game to go in Florida. This was the seventh game this season the Broncos have scored seven or more runs and second time in double-figures.

 A few players stood out offensively, most of which came at the top of the lineup. Tanner Allison finished 3-for-4 with two doubles and five RBI while Connor Smith went 3-for-5 with a double, a home run and five RBI as well. Andrew Stone entered as a pinch hitter in the designated hitter spot and went 3-for-3 with an RBI and two runs. Nick Vogelmeier, the team's leadoff hitter, went 3-for-6 with two runs while Grant Miller went 2-for-4 with an RBI and two runs and Tyler Frank was 2-for-3 with an RBI and two runs.

It was all Northeastern early, as the Huskies jumped out to an early 4-0 lead with two runs in the first inning and one in each the second and third.

The Broncos responded with six unanswered runs, bringing in two in the bottom of the third and used a big four-run fifth inning to grab a lead over the Huskies. In the third inning, Frank reached on a perfectly placed bunt single and Smith hit a high-arching home run to left field, his second of the season, to make it 4-2 Northeastern.

Stone got the four-run bottom of the fifth started with a single over the shortstop, followed by a Frank sacrifice bunt. WMU then rattled off three straight singles as Vogelmeier singled to the pitcher, Smith hit an RBI single up the middle, and Miller singled to left field. Allison provided the big hit of the inning, ripping a double down the left field line that cleared the bases and made it 6-4 WMU. 

The Huskies didn't stay down long, scoring three runs in the top of the sixth to come back and grab a 7-6 lead.

WMU opened the flood gates in the bottom of the eighth inning, as Stone got it started once again, this time with a one-out single down the left field line. The next nine batters reached, including a two-run double down the left field line by Smith, a two-run single by Allison and an RBI single by Miller. Jesse Forestell and Stone each drew a bases loaded walk while Alex Goodwin was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded.

Kyle Mallwitz improved to 2-0 this season as he earned the win, pitching the final 3.2 innings without allowing a hit and striking out two Huskie batters. Jimmy Townsend-Chase pitched 2.0 scoreless innings in relief.

The Broncos will finish out the Snowbird Classic with a game against Villanova on Saturday, March 11 at 10 a.m. before heading to a three-game series at Evansville next weekend.