ATHENS, Ohio  – In the top of the ninth, Western Michigan baseball brought the go-ahead run to the plate with the bases loaded but was unable to score as the Broncos dropped game two of the series at Ohio, 10-7 on Saturday afternoon inside Bob Wren Stadium.

In the ninth the junior duo of Nate Grys and Jesse Forestell registered back-to-back walks with one out before freshman Blake Dunn delivered with a single to left field to load the bases. However, WMU grounded into a 4-6-3 double play to end the game and the comeback attempt.

WMU had an early 4-1 lead through four innings before Ohio scored eight runs in the next three innings to extend its lead. The Broncos cut the Ohio lead down to two in the seventh after scoring three runs on three hits. Ohio extended its lead once more in the bottom of the eighth with a solo home run to grab the 10-7 victory.

The Broncos registered double digit hits for the second consecutive day, scoring seven runs on 12 hits. Ohio narrowly out-hit WMU, recording 10 runs on 13 hits. WMU had four players have multi-hit games, two have multi-RBI games with seven of the nine batters in the starting line-up earning a hit.  

Sophomore Drew Devine recorded his tenth multi-hit game of the season on Saturday going 3-for-3 with two RBIs, a run scored and a home run. Devine belted his second home run of the season in the top of the fourth.

Junior Connor Smith had a stellar day at the plate going 2-for-5 with an RBI and two runs scored. Fellow junior Jimmy Roche had the same line as his infield mate, going 2-for-5 with two runs scored and an RBI. Roche also collected his seventh double of the season in the top of the first.

Junior Jesse Forestell registered his eighth multi-RBI performance of the season with a 1-for-4 day at the plate with two RBIs. Continuing his dominance against the Bobcats was freshman Blake Dunn who went 2-for-5 with a double on Saturday. In two games against Ohio, Dunn has a staggering .700 batting average.

Of the 12 hits on Saturday afternoon for the Broncos, five were for extra-base hits including four doubles and a home run.

The rubber match between the Broncos and Bobcats is set for Sunday, May 13 with first pitch at 1:00 p.m. WMU with the loss drops its overall record to 21-23 and 10-11 in Mid-American Conference play.

Western Michigan for the second straight game got on the board first with an RBI double by Roche in the top of the first. After a groundout to begin the game, Smith and Roche hit back-to-back doubles to give WMU an early 1-0 lead. Later in the inning, Forestell reached base on a throwing error by the Ohio shortstop, scoring Roche from second to give WMU a 2-0 lead after an inning of play.

The Brown & Gold extended its lead in the top of the fourth off the bat of Drew Devine. With one out, Devine sent a ball deep over the left field wall for a two-run home run to extend the Bronco lead. It was Devine's second home run of the season and 22nd for the Broncos this year.

Ohio put a run on the board in the bottom of the fourth before scoring five runs on four hits in the bottom of the fifth to grab a 7-4 lead. The Bobcats added to their lead in the bottom of the sixth, scoring two runs on three hits to take a commanding 9-4 advantage.  

WMU responded in the top of the seventh with three runs on three hits to pull to within two. A walk by redshirt junior Andrew Stone and a single by Smith led off the inning for
Broncos before Roche reached on a throwing error that scored Stone from second. The Ohio throwing error gave WMU runners on second and third with no outs.

A strikeout became the first out of the inning for the Broncos as Forestell stepped to the plate. Forestell roped a two-RBI single back up the middle, scoring both Smith and Roche to make it a 9-7 ballgame. Dunn then laced a double off the left field wall to give WMU runners on second and third with one out before a double play ended the scoring threat.

Trailing 10-7 heading into the top of the ninth, the Broncos loaded the bases with one out after a hit by pitch, walk and single by Dunn. The go-ahead run came to the plate in the form of redshirt freshman Logan Hudson who grounded into a 4-6-3 double play to end the game.