PORT CHARLOTTE, Fla. – In a game that featured 32 hits, the Western Michigan baseball team fell in 11 innings to Georgetown 12-8 Tuesday afternoon at the Snowbird Classic, snapping the team's four-game winning streak while the Hoyas extend their winning streak to six games.
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The Broncos pounded out 15 hits, but the Hoyas, who improved to 8-5 with the win, finished with 17 hits and scored 10 unanswered runs to end the game, including a decisive four-run top of the 11th inning.
After a scoreless first inning, the Hoyas jumped out to an early 2-0 lead in the top of the second inning off an RBI triple and an RBI groundout.
The Broncos made it a one-run game in the bottom of the sixth inning, as sophomore Connor Smith led off the inning with a double down the left field line. Nate Grys brought him in on an RBI single to right field.
In the bottom of the seventh, the Broncos' offense exploded, scoring seven runs on six hits, four walks and one Hoya error to take an 8-2 lead. Jimmy Roche got the rally started with a single up the middle and Evan Nelson drew a walk with a full count to put runners on first and second with no out. Tyler Frank sacrificed the runners up and Nick Vogelmeier drew another walk to load the bases with one down, setting the table for Smith to bring in a pair of runs on a single and give the Broncos a 3-2 lead. After a fielder's choice for the second out, the Broncos next six batters reached via a walk or single. Grys had a two-run single with the bases loaded and Forestell brought in two of his own with a two-run single. Beau Filkins concluded the scoring in the inning with an RBI single to left field.
Georgetown clawed right back in it, scoring four runs on four hits to make it 8-6 in the top of the eighth. Gabe Berman entered to stop the Hoya rally in the inning, getting all three outs in the inning with one strikeout, but Georgetown came back to tie it up 8-8 with a pair of runs in the top of the ninth inning with help from a Bronco error.
Five WMU players finished with multiple hits, as Jimmy Roche went 4-for-6 to lead the team in hits. Forestell finished 3-for-5 with two RBI while Grys went 2-for-6 with three RBI. Smith went 2-for-4 with a double, two RBI and two runs. Tanner Allison went 2-for-5 while Filkins finished 1-for-3 with an RBI and a run.
WMU used seven pitchers in the game, with the final five each throwing 1.0 innings. Jimmy Townsend-Chase received the start, the first of his career at WMU, and his final line read 4.0 innings, two hits, two runs and one walk with three strikeouts. Brandon Petersen, who has yet to allow a run this season, threw 2.0 scoreless innings while Berman and Jake Bartels each threw a scoreless inning. Jacob Piechota entered the pitch the bottom of the ninth inning and went 1.0 inning allowing two runs (both unearned) with a strikeout.
The Broncos will head to Joker Marchant Stadium in Lakeland, Fla., to battle the Detroit Tigers Top Prospects team on Wednesday, March 8 at 11 a.m. WMU closes out the Snowbird Classic with Northeastern on Friday and Villanova on Saturday, both of which start at 10 a.m.
