KALAMAZOO, Mich. –  In the series finale on Sunday, Western Michigan baseball scored six runs in the final four innings but was unable to complete the comeback as the Broncos fell to Mid-American Conference preseason favorite Kent State, 12-6.  

It was a display of offensive power between the Broncos and Golden Flashes on Sunday inside Robert J. Bobb Stadium at Hyames Field as both teams combined for 18 runs and 26 hits.

WMU scored all six runs of its runs in the sixth and seventh innings while KSU scored in five straight innings prior to the ninth with seven of its 12 runs coming with two outs.

In the series finale, WMU registered 11 hits with the junior duo of Cooper Marshall and Connor Smith each having multi-hit games. Marshall led the offense going 3-for-5 with three RBIs and one run scored. Marshall on the weekend hit a staggering .455 with one home run and six RBIs.

Smith was 2-for-5 on Sunday with one run scored and over the weekend had an on-base percentage of .400. Fellow junior Jimmy Roche at the plate was 1-for-5 with two RBIs. On the mound WMU used five different pitchers, striking out eight Golden Flashes' in game three.

Over the weekend the Brown & Gold registered 11 runs on 24 hits with two doubles and two home runs. The Broncos hit the road for their next four contests, beginning on Wednesday, April 3 with a non-conference match-up at Valparaiso. WMU then travels to DeKalb, Ill., for its first MAC road series beginning on Friday, April 6 against Northern Illinois.

KSU got off to a quick start, scoring multiple runs in the first inning for the second time in three games. The Golden Flashes scored three in the top of the first with two runs coming off the bat of Mason Mamarella as the KSU senior hit a home run over the center field wall to give KSU an early 3-0 lead.

Mamarella hit his second home run of the day in the top of the fourth to extend the KSU lead as the Golden Flashes scored in the fourth, fifth and sixth innings to take a 6-0 lead.

The Bronco offense was held scoreless until the bottom of the sixth before scoring two runs on three hits to cut into the KSU lead. With one out and runners on the corners, Roche laced a single through the left side to score sophomore Drew Devine and give WMU its first run of the ballgame.

Two pitches later on an 0-2 count, Marshall blasted a single back up the middle that scored Smith from second to cut into the deficit. Western Michigan loaded the bases in the bottom of the sixth with two outs, but a strikeout ended the scoring threat.
In the top of the seventh, Kent State scored five runs on four hits to regain momentum and lengthen its lead. All five of KSU's runs in the seventh came with two outs.

The Broncos responded in the bottom half of the inning scoring four runs on four hits. WMU loaded the bases with no outs after walks by juniors Jesse Forestell and Nate Grys along with a double by Devine. It was Devine's second double of the season.

With the bases loaded and one out, Roche hit a slow ground ball to the KSU second baseman that scored Forestell from third and cut into the Kent State lead. Three pitches later, Cooper Marshall smacked a two-RBI single through the right side for WMU's fourth and fifth runs of the game.

Sophomore Ethan Hajdukovic delivered with a two out pinch-hit RBI single in the bottom of the seventh, scoring Marshall to make it an 11-6 deficit. After a two out single by redshirt freshman Logan Hudson had runners on the corners for WMU, a strikeout ended the inning.

Kent State grabbed one more run in the top of the eighth en route to a 12-6 victory and a series sweep of the Broncos.