KALAMAZOO, Mich. – Scoring five of its eight runs with two outs, Western Michigan baseball defeated Mid-American Conference rival Central Michigan, 8-2 on Friday afternoon at Robert J. Bobb Stadium at Hyames Field.
The Broncos scored double digit runs in the final three innings to capture the game one victory over the Chippewas. Offensively, WMU scored eight runs on just six hits. Friday's contest marked the fourth game in a row that the Brown & Gold have scored at least seven runs or more.
It was quite a day at the plate for junior
Jesse Forestell who went 2-for-4 with two RBIs and one run scored. Forestell registered his fifth multi-hit game of the season and third multi-RBI game. In the fourth inning, the junior catcher collected his first career triple with a ball hit down the right field line.
Junior
Connor Smith had his 12
th multi-hit game of the season, going 2-for-4 with an RBI and one run scored. The Midland, Mich., native also extended his reached base streak to 16 games. Freshman
Ethan Hajdukovic was also stellar at the plate going 1-for-3 with an RBI coming in the bottom of the sixth.
On the mound the Broncos used three different pitchers, allowing just two runs while striking out 10. Junior RHP
Nic Laio earned the start for WMU going five innings allowing one run on six hits while striking out seven. In the ninth, fellow junior
Matt McConnell came on in relief and gave up no runs on two hits.
Senior RHP
Andrew Reisinger registered his seventh victory of the season on Friday and improved his overall record to 7-0. Reisinger went three innings, giving up just one run on three hits while striking out three. With seven victories, Reisinger ranks second in the conference.
With the win, WMU improves its overall record to 15-16 and 5-6 in MAC play. Game two is set for Saturday, April 21 with first pitch at 1:00 p.m.
The Broncos and Chippewas were scoreless until the bottom of the fourth as the Brown & Gold scored one run on two hits to gain the early lead. After a strikeout, Forestell roped his first career triple down the right field line to give WMU a scoring chance with one out.
Two pitches later, junior
Nate Grys laced a double into centerfield scoring Forestell and giving WMU an early 1-0 lead. It was Grys' team-leading 10
th double of the season.
CMU tied the game in the top of the sixth thanks to a bases loaded sacrifice fly to center field to tie the game at 1-1. After the sacrifice fly, CMU's Blake Cleveland lined a ball right into junior
Cooper Marshall's glove, who then quickly threw to first base to pick off the runner and end the CMU scoring chance.
It did not take long for the Broncos to regain the lead as WMU scored three runs on one hit along with two CMU errors in the bottom of the sixth. With the bases loaded and one out, freshman
Blake Dunn grounded into a fielder's choice before an errant throw by the CMU second baseman allowed
Connor Smith and redshirt junior
Andrew Stone to score.
With two outs in the bottom of the sixth, Hajdukovic roped a ball into right center field, scoring a hustling Dunn from first to extend the Bronco lead.
The Broncos continued to extend their lead in the bottom of the seventh, scoring two runs with two outs. With runners on second and third, Forestell smacked a ball back up the middle to score junior
Conner Henderson and redshirt freshman
Logan Hudson to push the WMU lead to 6-1.
Central Michigan gained a run in the top of the eighth, before the Bronco offense was back at it once again. After a lead-off walk by
Blake Dunn, Hajdukovic executed a perfect sacrifice bunt to give WMU a runner in scoring positon with one out.
Dunn came around to score two pitches later thanks to back-to-back wild pitches by CMU's Logan Buczkowski. Back to back two out walks brought
Connor Smith to the plate who registered his lone RBI of the day with a single to right field, scoring sophomore
Drew Devine from second.
In the top of the ninth the Chippewas had runners on first and second with zero outs before three straight groundouts ended the game and gave WMU the 8-2 game one victory.
