AVON, Ohio – The defending champion Western Michigan baseball team opened the 2017 Mid-American Conference (MAC) Tournament with a thrilling 6-5 win over Eastern Michigan. The No. 6 seeded Broncos took down No. 3 EMU in 10 innings and used a clutch two-out Nick Vogelmeier RBI single to take the lead in the 10th, followed by a Vogelmeier turned double-play to end the game.
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The Eagles had the bases loaded with just one out in the bottom of the 10th inning, putting the tying run at third and the winning run at second. Andrew Reisinger got a perfect double-play ball out to Vogelmeier at second, where the senior tagged the runner before throwing over to Jesse Forestell at first base to seal the WMU win.
WMU, who has now won at least one game at the MAC Tournament in the last four years, will face the winner of No. 2 Central Michigan and No. 7 Northern Illinois at 4:30 p.m. on Thursday, May 25 at Sprenger Stadium. EMU will face the loser at 9:30 a.m. in an elimination game.
The Broncos jumped out to a 3-0 lead before Eastern Michigan was able to break through with a run. WMU scored two in the top of the second inning on back-to-back home runs by Nate Grys and Grant Miller, their fourth and fifth of the season, respectively. In the top of the third, the Broncos made it 3-0 with the help of an Eagle error. With two outs in the inning, Tanner Allison drew a walk and Grys had an infield single to put runners on first and second. Grant Miller hit a grounder over to third base that was muffed, bringing Allison in unearned.
EMU tallied their first run in the bottom of the third inning off three hits, ending Mallwitz' no-hitter and shutout.
The Brown & Gold added on to the lead in the top of the sixth inning with two more runs, making it a 5-1 lead. Miller drew a leadoff walk to get things rolling. After a sacrifice bunt, Alex Goodwin sent an RBI double to left center field followed by a Tyler Frank RBI single to center field.
The Eagles came back to score four unanswered runs with two in the bottom of the seventh and two critical runs coming in on a two-run double in the bottom of the ninth to tie it up 5-5.
The Broncos weren't bothered by the momentum shift, as the team responded by grabbing the lead once again with a run in the top of the 10th inning. Miller, the WMU career leader in hit by pitch, wore it to lead off the inning. After a Forestell single and a Goodwin walk, the Broncos had the bases loaded with no outs. The Eagles got a huge double play ball from third base to home to first, but Vogelmeier came through with one of the biggest hits of the game, an RBI single to right field to score Forestell and put WMU up 6-5.
Grys finished 3-for-5 with the solo home run while Miller went 1-for-3 with the solo home run and two runs. Vogelmeier went 2-for-6 with the go-ahead RBI single in the 10th. Allison went 1-for-3 with a run and Goodwin went 1-for-4 with a double, an RBI and a run. Frank also delivered an RBI.
WMU used four pitchers in the ball game, as Mallwitz got the start and went 5.2 innings allowing one run and four hits with six strikeouts. Nic Laio and Gabe Berman each allowed two runs in relief while Reisinger came in clutch, earning his second win of the year pitching the final 1.1 innings scoreless.
