DETROIT, Mich. – In a game that featured six lead changes, the Western Michigan baseball team fell 7-6 to Michigan State at Comerica Park on a walk-off fielder's choice where the Broncos narrowly missed on converting a double-play to send the game to extra innings.
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In the bottom of the ninth inning, Michigan State loaded the bases with one out, forcing head coach Billy Gernon to bring in right fielder Beau Filkins for a fifth infielder. Nic Laio did force a grounder to the left side, but the play was too slow developing as Michigan State scored the game-winning run as the throw to first from second came in late.
Four players finished with multiple hits for WMU, as Grant Miller went 3-for-4 with two doubles, an RBI and a run and Andrew Stone finished 3-for-4 with two runs and an RBI. Nate Grys went 2-for-5 with a double and an RBI and Nick Vogelmeier went 2-for-5 with a double and two RBI. Tanner Allison finished 1-for-4 with an RBI, putting him just four RBI away from breaking the WMU single season RBI record. He's just the second player in WMU history to have 60 RBI in a single season.
After a scoreless top of the first for the Broncos, Michigan State took the game's first lead with a run in the bottom of the first off an RBI single, and it was all back-and-forth from there.
WMU came back to tie in the top of the second and the team's each tallied one run in their half of the inning in the second and third. In the top of the second, Tyler Frank drew a two-out walk and moved all the way up to third on a pickoff throw that sailed down the right field line. Stone brought him in on an RBI single to right field, making it 1-1.
After MSU took a 2-1 lead in the bottom of the second, WMU came back to tie again in the top of the third with another run as Grys drilled an RBI double off the bottom of the wall in left field to score Miller and make it 2-2. The Spartans grabbed the lead right back in the bottom of the third with another run, making it a 3-2 game.
The Broncos broke through in the top of the fourth inning, scoring three runs on four hits including a pair of doubles. Frank got it going once again, this time with a one-out single to center field. After a Stone single to left field, Vogelmeier brought both in with a two-run double down the left field line, making it 4-3 WMU. After a lineout, Miller hit the second double of the inning to right field to score Vogelmeier, making it 5-3 Broncos.
The Spartans added a run in the bottom of the fifth and then took a 6-5 lead in the bottom of the seventh, scoring two runs on one hit, but were helped by three walks in the inning.
The Brown & Gold came back to tie it up once again in the top of the eighth inning at 6-6. Stone led off with a single through the right side and came in to score on Allison's RBI single to third base with the bases loaded and one out. Michigan State got a perfect double-play ball to get out of the inning. WMU also had the bases loaded with one out in the top of the ninth inning, but a great play in foul territory and a strikeout ended the Bronco threat.
The Broncos will face Oakland in another midweek nonconference game on Wednesday, May 10 at 3 p.m. before heading to Bowling Green for a three-game series.
