CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – Western Michigan baseball took an early lead against Illinois Tuesday night on the road, but the Broncos fell 13-3 in the midweek nonconference game against the B1G Fighting Illini. The Broncos will look to get back to the winning ways as the team hosts cross-state rival Eastern Michigan this coming weekend in a three-game series in Mid-American Conference (MAC) West action.

FOLLOW US ON TWITTER: @WMUBaseball

WMU took the first lead of the game in the top of the second inning after junior Jacob Piechota pitched a scoreless first inning. The Broncos tallied one run on an RBI single by Andrew Stone to score Alex Goodwin, who reached on a leadoff single to make it 1-0 WMU.

Illinois took control in the middle innings, scoring 12 unanswered runs including a six-run third inning. The Fighting Illini were helped greatly by five errors charged to the Broncos, as just five of the 13 runs were earned.

The Brown & Gold scored one run in the sixth and another in the eighth inning. In the sixth, senior Grant Miller sent a deep home run to left field, his third of the season which now ties Nate Grys for second on the team behind Tanner Allison's eight. In the eighth inning, Evan Nelson crushed a solo home run to right field, his second of the season.

The Broncos' offense finished with a spread out 10 hits, as just Tyler Frank had a multiple hit game going 2-for-4. Nelson and Miller each hit solo home runs while Goodwin finished 1-for-3 with a run. Beau Filkins went 1-for-3 with a double.

Piechota got the start for WMU, pitching the first inning scoreless. Nic Laio pitched 2.1 shutout innings while picking up a strikeout and Tyler Thorington threw a scoreless eighth inning where he struck out the side.

WMU will battle Eastern Michigan this weekend on Friday, April 21 at 3 p.m., Saturday, April 22 at 1 p.m. and Sunday, April 23 at 1 p.m. at Robert J. Bobb Stadium at Hyames Field.