WESTFIELD, Ind. – On Saturday the Western Michigan baseball pitching staff combined for 25 strikeouts as the Broncos split their doubleheader at Butler, winning the first game 2-1 before falling in game two, 10-0.
On the mound the WMU pitching staff held Butler to just a .280 batting average allowing just 21 hits while striking out 25 Bulldog batters. The Broncos registered back-to-back games with double digit strikeouts for the first time this year and set a new season-high with 14 in game two.
The mound performance was led by senior LHP Chris Modrzynski in game one who threw 6.1 innings, allowing no runs on three hits and striking out a six. Modrzynski's six strikeouts was one shy of his career-high. The Alpena, Mich., native in game one held Butler to just one hit through the first five innings.
Offensively the Brown & Gold were led by sophomore Blake Dunn who went 4-for-8 at the plate and extended his hitting streak to 11 and reached base streak to 17. Dunn earned his 10th and 11th multi-hit games of the season tallying two hits in each game of the doubleheader.
Senior Conner Henderson provided an offensive spark at the plate as well going 1-for-3 with a double, one run scored and one RBI. Fellow senior Andrew Stone joined Henderson in the RBI department going 2-for-6 on the day with one RBI.
The Broncos will look to clinch the series victory against Butler in game three on Sunday, March 17 at Bulldog park. First pitch is set for 1:00 p.m.
Game One (WMU – 2, Butler – 1)
In what turned out to be a pitcher's duel, Modrzynski was dominant on the mound for the Broncos en route to a 2-1 victory in game one of the series.
Modrzynski threw 6.1 innings allowing no runs on three hits while striking out six, one shy of his career-high. In 27 batters faced the crafty lefty gave up just one extra base hit and walked just three Bulldog batters. With the performance on the mound Modrzynski earned his second win and improved his record to 2-0 this season.
Freshman Dane Ambrustmacher came in relief of Modrzynski and shut down the Bulldog offense going 2.1 innings allowing one run on three hits and striking out a career-high five. Redshirt junior Will Mullen recorded his first save of the season, retiring the only batter he faced in the bottom of the ninth.
Stone and Henderson were the lone Broncos to register RBIs in game one as both brought runs home in the bottom of the third inning. Henderson along with junior Drew Devine scored the two runs for the Broncos in the low scoring affair.
WMU got on the board first in the bottom of the third after Devine led off the inning with a single back up the middle. Henderson followed Devine's at-bat with a double to right center field, scoring Devine from first to give the Broncos an early lead.
In the next at-bat Stone roped a single back up the middle for the Brown & Gold's third straight hit to score Henderson from second and extend the lead to 2-0. Blake Dunn laced a single to left field to give the Broncos runners on first and second with no outs before two line outs and a fly ball ended the scoring threat.
Butler was held scoreless until the bottom of the ninth prior to back-to-back singles with one out gave the Bulldogs a scoring threat with runners on first and second. After a swinging strikeout the Bulldogs broke through on the scoreboard with an RBI single up the middle to cut into the Bronco lead.
With runners on the corners and two outs, Mullen forced the only batter he faced into a fielder's choice to end the ballgame and give WMU its sixth win on the year.
Game Two (WMU – 0, Butler – 10)
The Bronco offense was halted in game two as Butler posted 10 runs on 15 hits to tie the series with a 10-0 victory.
WMU was held to just three hits in game two with two coming off the bat of Blake Dunn who went 2-for-4. Senior Cooper Marshall generated the other hit for the Broncos with a two out single in the top of the third inning.
On the mound WMU used five different pitchers and registered a season-high 14 strikeouts. Freshman Drew Szcepaniak and junior Tyler Thorington each recorded a career-high four strikeouts to lead the pitching staff.
Butler got on the board quickly in the bottom of the first with a leadoff home run to take a 1-0 lead. The Bulldogs extended their lead in the bottom of the third as the first two batters hit home runs. Butler scored once more in the third to gain a 4-0 lead through the first three innings of play.
The Bulldogs added to their lead scoring two runs in the fifth, one run in the sixth and three runs in the seventh to gain a 10-0 advantage. In game two the Broncos left six runners on the base and were 0-for-5 at the plate with runners in scoring position.
WMU looked to rally in the top of the eighth with runners on first and second with two outs before a groundout to the pitcher ended the scoring chance.
