KALAMAZOO, Mich.  – In its 2019 home opener at Robert J. Bobb Stadium at Hyames Field the Western Michigan baseball team used a five-run sixth inning to power past Northern Illinois, 9-4 on Friday afternoon.

On the mound the Broncos got a stellar outing from redshirt junior Will Mullen, throwing a career-high 4.2 innings allowing no runs on 11 hits with four strikeouts to secure his second victory of the season. The Rochester, Mich., native has not allowed a run in his last four appearances and has accumulated eight strikeouts in 10.1 innings of work.

The Broncos posted nine runs on 12 hits against the Huskies, marking the 17th time this season posting double digit hits. Eight of the nine batters in the starting line-up recorded a hit on Friday with four earning multi-hit games.

Senior Cooper Marshall led the WMU offense going 2-for-3 at the plate with two runs scored and a team-high three RBIs. It was Marshall's third multi-RBI game of the season and fifth multi-hit game. The senior delivered with a two RBI single in the bottom of the sixth to give WMU the lead.

Joining Marshall with multi-RBIs was sophomore Blake Dunn who went 2-for-5 with two RBIs, a double and a run scored. Dunn notched his team-leading 18th multi-hit game of the season and sixth multi-RBI game. With the performance at the plate, Dunn extended his reached base streak to 31 games.

The sophomore duo of Sean O'Keefe and Logan Hudson each went 2-for-4 on the day with an RBI and two runs scored. O'Keefe improved his hitting streak to three games while Hudson notched his sixth-multi hit game of the year. Junior Ethan Hajudkovic posted a 1-for-4 day at the plate as well with an RBI, a double and a run scored.

Freshman Dane Armbrustmacher picked up his second save of the season after entering the game in the top of the ninth with the bases loaded and no outs. Armbrustmacher ended the NIU scoring threat in the final inning registering two strikeouts and a ground out to secure the victory.

Western Michigan improved its overall record to 10-20 and is now 3-5 in Mid-American Conference play. The Broncos will square off with Northern Illinois on Saturday, April 13 in a doubleheader with first pitch of game two beginning at 12:00 p.m. Game three of the series will follow approximately 30 minutes after.

After both teams went down in order in the first inning, the Huskies got on the board first in the top of the second, launching a home run over the left field wall to take a 1-0 lead.

The Broncos regained the lead in the bottom half of the second, scoring two runs on three hits. O'Keefe led off the inning with a single followed by a fly out and a single to right center field by Hudson gave WMU runners on the corners with one out. After taking a few pitches, Hajdukovic laced an RBI double to left field, scoring O'Keefe to tie the game at 1-1. In the next at-bat, Cooper Marshall recorded a sacrifice fly to right field to give WMU an early 2-1 advantage.

Northern Illinois battled back in the top of the third scoring one run on one hit and capitalizing on one Bronco error. With two outs, NIU's Brendan Joyce collected an RBI single to left field to tie the game. NIU grabbed a two-run lead in the top of the fourth
after a two RBI double dropped in left center field to give the Huskies a 4-2 lead.

Western Michigan cut into its deficit in the bottom of the fifth as junior Drew Devine roped an RBI single back up the middle, scoring Marshall from second to cut the NIU lead down to 4-3.

In the bottom of the sixth the WMU offense exploded for five runs on four hits to propel back in front, 8-4. O'Keefe drew a walk to lead off the inning and then advanced to second on a wild pitch to give the Brown & Gold a runner in scoring position with no outs. After a fly out, Hudson delivered with an RBI single through the right side to tie the game at four's.

An error by the NIU first baseman gave WMU runners on the corners with Marshall rocketed a two RBI single to center field, scoring both runners and giving the Broncos a 6-4 advantage. Later in the inning the Broncos loaded the bases for Dunn who crushed a two RBI single up the middle to give WMU an 8-4 lead.

WMU added one more run in the bottom of the eighth off the bat of Sean O'Keefe. With two outs and a runner on second, O'Keefe smacked his second hit of the game into centerfield to score Dunn from second and propel the Bronco lead.

NIU looked to mount a comeback in the top of the ninth, loading the bases after a double followed by an error and hit by pitch. However, Armbrustmacher quickly halted the scoring threat registering back-to-back strikeouts followed by a ground to earn his second save of the season and a series opening victory for the Broncos.