PORT CHARLOTTE, Fla. - The Western Michigan Baseball team took down St. Bonaventure 9-2 in the first of a three game series in Port Charlotte, Florida. The Broncos bats exploded for 11 hits and nine runs.

The Broncos are coming off a 14- hit game against Yale last weekend at the Campbell Invitational. The junior duo of Connor Smith and Drew Devine both had three hits a piece while junior Nate Grys was 2-for-4 with two doubles and three RBI's.

Devine opened up the scoring in the second inning with a single through the right side, scoring junior Jesse Forestell.  Forestell started the inning with a base on balls and then stole second base.  He later advanced to third after a deep fly ball to right field off the bat of freshman Sean O'Keefe.

The Bronco offense kept it going in the third inning with Conner Henderson drawing a base on balls. Henderson stole second and later advanced to third on a deep fly ball from Smith.  The Bonnies issued another walk to the Bronco clean-up hitter, Grys, and he stole second on the very next pitch.  Forestell stepped to the plate and laced a single to center driving in both Henderson and Grys.

The Broncos scored again in the fourth and sixth innings to extend the lead to 5-0. WMU put the game out of reach in the eighth by plating four more. The eighth inning started with freshman Blake Dunn reaching on a Bonnie error and senior Andrew Stone working a base on balls. 

Smith picked up his second RBI with a single to right field, scoring Dunn.  A one out walk by Jimmy Roche loaded the bases bringing up Grys.  The 1-1 offering to Grys was ripped down the left field line clearing the bases and putting the game out of reach.

The Bronco pitching staff received another quality start from Jack Szott who pitched 4.1 innings of shutout baseball striking out four and walking none. Senior Andrew Reisinger relieved Szott in the top of the fifth with one out and the bases loaded and struck out back to back Bonnies to end the threat. 

The senior recorded the win going three innings and surrendering only one earned run. The Bronco pitching staff had gone its last 16.2 innings without surrendering a run before the Bonnies scratched one in the eighth.  Senior RHP Jimmy Townsend-Chase earned his first save of the year by striking out three in 1.2 innings of work.

The Broncos have won three of its last four games and improved to 3-4 on the season. Both teams square off for game two of the three game series tomorrow at 11:00 a.m.