DELAND, Fla. – Senior Kyle Mallwitz had a phenomenal day out of the bullpen, pitching the final 4.2 innings without allowing a hit as the Western Michigan baseball team opened the Stetson Tournament with a 4-3 win over UConn on Friday afternoon at Melching Field.

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Mallwitz has now allowed just one earned run over 15.2 innings, bringing his ERA to 0.57 in his first win of the season. WMU improved to 3-5 this season and has now won two straight games heading into a game against St. Joseph's on Saturday at 1 p.m.

The Huskies were able to jump on the Broncos early, taking a 3-0 lead after three innings, with a run in the first inning and two in the third.

The Broncos tied it up at 3-3 with one swing from Tanner Allison, who hit his fifth home run of the season and fourth in the last four games. Evan Nelson led the inning off with a single up the middle and Nate Grys followed that with a walk. After both runners moved up on a balk, Allison sent it over the right field wall on a 1-2 count to tie the score at 3-3.

The game went three and a half scoreless innings until the Broncos took their first lead of the game with a run in the top of the eighth. Nelson ripped a one-out single through the right side and Allison wore the next pitch to put runners on first and second with one out. After a strikeout, Jesse Forestell hit a grounder that the shortstop let through his legs, bringing Grys in to score and give the Broncos a 4-3 lead.

Allison finished 2-for-3 with the home run, three RBI and was hit by a pitch. Grys went 2-for-3 with two runs scored and drew a walk while the top four in the Bronco lineup all contributed a hit.

Junior Jacob Piechota started the game, pitching 4.1 innings, allowing five hits and three runs with three strikeouts.