EVANSVILLE, Ind. – The Western Michigan baseball team used a three-run ninth to come from behind in game two of its doubleheader, but Evansville responded in the bottom of the inning to win 6-5 and split the doubleheader following the Broncos impressive 11-2 win in game one.
Down 3-2 entering the top of the ninth, the Broncos had two men reach base as
Grant Miller was hit by a pitch and
Tanner Allison singled to right center. With runners on the corners,
Alex Goodwin bunted to bring in Smith from third and tie the game at 3-3 as no Evansville infielder was able to record an out on the play, leaving runners at first and second with one out.
Nate Grys then came up following a flyout to center by Jesse Forstell, and hit a single through the left side to score Allison and give the Broncos their first lead of the game.
Tyler Frank followed himself and hit another single through the right side to bring in Goodwin pushing the lead to 5-3.
Evansville then started a rally of its own in the bottom of the ninth. The Aces loaded the bases with nobody out. They made it 5-4 following a wild pitch, which moved runners to second and third. An intentional walk loaded the bases again and Andrew Tanous singled to left to bring in two and give the Aces a 6-5 win.
Gabe Berman had a masterful performance in relief of starter
Jacob Piechota. Berman went five innings, allowing just one run on five hits. He struck out three without walking a batter.
Frank finished the game 4-for-5 at the plate including two of the team's five RBI.
Game 1
During the first game, the Broncos came back out in the top of the eighth leading 9-0 following the game being suspended Friday night. WMU added two runs in the top of the eighth after the first three men reached base.
Jimmy Roche who came in as a pinch hitter, singled to center to score two runs to give the Broncos an 11-0 advantage.
WMU broke the game open Friday night in the sixth and seventh innings. Frank led the sixth inning off with a bunt single and advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt by
Andrew Stone. Following a hit by pitch to
Nick Vogelmeier,
Connor Smith singled to bring in Frank. With runners on second and third, Allison singled to center to bring in two more runs. The single highlighted an already impressive day for Allison who threw a runner out at home in the first inning to keep the Aces off the board.
The Broncos put the game out of reach in the seventh as Forstell and Grys led off the inning with back-to-back doubles. Frank singled to put runners on the corners with no one out. Stone then singled and Grys scored following a throwing error. Vogelmeier capped the inning with a two-run single to left center to make it 9-0.
Starter
Jack Szott went 4.2 innings, allowing just four hits while striking out four and walking just one. Reliever
Kyle Mallwitz came on in relief and in his 2.1 innings he did not allow a run while striking out three and also walking just one.
The Broncos will wrap up its three-game set at Evansville on Sunday at 2 p.m.