PORT CHARLOTTE, Fla. – Western Michigan baseball recorded a season-high 22 runs and 27 hits en route to a 22-1 victory over Georgetown on Wednesday afternoon at the Snowbird Classic.  

WMU's 27 hits was one shy of the program record for most hits in a game set back in 2002 when the Brown & Gold had 28 in a victory over Morehead State. The performance at the plate continues WMU's gaudy offensive numbers to begin the season marking the sixth straight game generating double-digit hits.

For the second straight year and fourth time since 2008 the Broncos registered 20 or more runs. WMU's 22 runs against the Hoyas was six shy of the school record (28) set back in 1988 against Notre Dame. The 22 runs were the second most runs scored under head coach Billy Gernon.

The Broncos saw 12 different batters register a hit with six recording multi-hit games along with eight different players earning an RBI. Redshirt senior Andrew Stone, junior Drew Devine and sophomore Justin McIntyre each had four hits while redshirt sophomore Logan Hudson and senior Conner Henderson led WMU with four RBIs.

Senior Jesse Forestell went a perfect 3-for-3 at the plate, including two extra-base hits while driving in three runs and scoring three. Fellow senior Nate Grys picked up his sixth and seventh RBIs of the season going 3-for-4 at the plate with two RBIs, one run scored and a double.

Sophomore Blake Dunn extended his hitting streak to six games and reached base streak to 12 with a 2-of-4 performance at the plate with one RBI and three runs scored. Fellow sophomore Logan Hudson continued his hot start to the season going 1-for-3 at the disk with four RBIs.

The Broncos extended its streak to six straight games with a home run after Conner Henderson belted a grand slam in the bottom of the seventh inning. Henderson was 2-for-6 on the afternoon with four RBIs and two runs scored.

On the mound the Broncos got a strong start from junior LHP Jeffery Burch. The Paw Paw, Mich., native went 5.0 scoreless innings allowing just five hits while striking out five. In relief, senior Matt McConnell pitched the final four innings allowing on one run on four hits with four strikeouts.

The duo of Burch and McConnell struck out nine Hoyas batters and gave up zero walks. In three games at the Snowbird Classic the Bronco pitching staff struck out 29 batters, walking only seven.

At the Snowbird Classic the Broncos scored 41 runs on 54 hits and had a staggering .417 batting average and .535 slugging percentage. Junior Drew Devine led the Bronco offense in the three games with a .667 batting average.

WMU went 3-0 at the Snowbird Classic and improved its overall record to 4-8 on the year. WMU will enjoy a rest day before traveling to Jacksonville, Fla. for a three-game series at North Florida beginning on Friday, March 8. 

The Broncos got off to an early lead plating two runs in the first, four in the second and six in the third to grab a 12-0 lead. In the bottom of the second WMU scored four runs on five hits highlighted by Forestell lacing an RBI triple down the right field line,
scoring Grys from first to extend WMU's lead to 6-0.

In the bottom of the sixth, Western Michigan generated six runs with two outs to propel it's lead to double digits. After two quick outs, WMU rattled off hits in four of the next five batters as Forestell delivered with a two RBI bases loaded single to right center field. The two RBI single was followed by an RBI double by Grys along with a two RBI single from Hudson.
 
After scoring two more in the bottom of the fifth the Broncos held a 14-0 advantage before scoring seven runs on six hits in the bottom of the seventh. The big inning for the Brown & Gold was highlighted by Conner Henderson blasting a grand slam over the left field wall, his third career home run.

Georgetown added a run in the top of the eighth before McConnell shut down the Hoyas offense, retiring four of the next five batters to secure the victory.