BUIES CREEK, N.C. – The Western Michigan baseball offense exploded on the final day of the Campbell Invitational scoring six runs on 14 hits to capture a 6-0 victory over preseason Ivy League favorite Yale.

Western Michigan earned its second victory of the season after recording a season-high in runs and hits. The 14 hits are the most since WMU had 15 against Buffalo on May 18, 2017.  As a team, eight Broncos earned a hit against the Bulldogs with five
registering multi-hit games.

The junior duo of Nate Grys and Jesse Forestell each picked up two RBIs on the day while junior Conner Henderson and sophomore Drew Devine had one. Junior Connor Smith had the most hits on the team against Yale, going 3-for-5 with one run scored and two stolen bases.

On the mound senior LHP Jacob Piechota earned his first win of the season after going six innings, allowing four hits and no runs while tying his career-high with six strikeouts. Fellow senior Andrew Reisinger pitched two innings in relief, allowing no runs on two hits while striking out three of the eight batters he faced.

Western Michigan improved its overall record to 2-4 with both victories coming at the Campbell Invitational against Yale and Mid-American Conference foe Miami. Over the weekend the Broncos hit. 243 with 11 runs scored on 25 hits with a slugging percentage of .359.

Over the three-game weekend, Grys was dominant at the plate going 5-for-13 with four RBIs, two runs scored, a double and a home run. Smith also went 5-for-13 over the weekend with one run scored and two stolen bases.

As a pitching staff, WMU accumulated an impressive 2.33 ERA over the weekend, allowing just 23 hits and seven runs while striking out 22 batters.

WMU will head to the Sunshine State for its annual Florida trip beginning on Friday, March 2 with a three-game series against Saint Bonaventure. The Broncos will play eight games in nine days while down in Florida including an exhibition game on Monday, March 5 against the Detroit Tigers Top Prospects at Joker Marchant Stadium in Lakeland.  

The Broncos got off to a fast start scoring two runs on five hits in the top of the first for the early lead. Smith began the scoring barrage with a one out single back up the middle before he was caught stealing second base. With two outs, the Broncos rattled off four straight hits highlighted by Grys recording a double to score junior Jimmy Roche to get the Broncos on the board.

Three pitches later, Forestell laced a single through the left side that scored Grys from second and gave WMU the quick 2-0 lead.

WMU was back at it again in the top of the third as Roche reached on a fielder's choice and advanced to second on a Yale throwing error to lead off the inning. With one out, Forestell swung on the first pitch he saw and earned a double to center field scoring Roche to extend the Bronco lead.

The Bronco offense continued to stay explosive scoring runs in the sixth, seventh and eighth innings to extend the lead to 6-0. In the top of the sixth sophomore Drew Devine connected on a 3-1 pitch that went deep over the left field wall for the sophomore's first career home-run.

Grys registered his second RBI of the day in the seventh with a single to left center field scoring Smith from third and opening up the Bronco lead. The final run of the day for the Brown & Gold came in the eighth as Henderson laid down a bunt towards the second base side that scored Devine from third for the 6-0 advantage.  

Yale, who is the preseason Ivy League favorite and was a NCAA Regional participant a year ago, registered just six hits on the afternoon. Yale's best scoring chance came in the bottom of the fifth as the Bulldogs had runners on first and second with two outs. However, Piechota forced Yale to fly out to right field to end the scoring chance.