MOUNT PLEASANT, Mich. – The Western Michigan baseball team dropped a narrow 5-4 decision to in-state rival Central Michigan in its series opener on Friday afternoon inside Theunissen Stadium.
The Broncos got another strong performance on the mound from senior LHP
Chris Modrzynski who went 4.2 innings, allowing one earned run on two hits while striking out four. Modrzynski retired 12 of the first 16 batters he faced including holding the Chippewas hitless through the first three innings of play.
In his last three starts, Modryznski has been sharp for the Broncos posting a 1-0 record in 13.2 innings pitched with a 3.29 ERA and 13 strikeouts. The Alpena, Mich., native in the three-game stretch has held opponents to just a .273 batting average.
WMU recorded four runs on six hits against the Chippewas who came into Friday's contest with the second best ERA in the Mid-American Conference at 4.49. The Broncos scored all of their runs off of CMU's Cameron Brown who leads the MAC with a 7-0 record and ranks 22
nd with a 3.25 ERA
Leading the way at the plate for the Brown & Gold was senior
Nate Grys who registered his ninth multi-hit game of the season going 2-for-4 with two doubles and a three RBIs. Grys' posted his sixth multi-RBI game of the season and matched his career-high with two doubles.
Fellow senior
Jimmy Roche notched his 10
th multi-hit game of the season against the Chippewas with a 2-for-5 performance at the plate with a run scored. The Orland Park, Ill., native also extended his reached base streak to 12 games.
The sophomore duo of
Blake Dunn and
Sean O'Keefe each recorded a hit on the afternoon with Dunn going 1-for-2 with a run scored while O'Keefe went 1-for-4 with an RBI.
Out of the bullpen redshirt junior
Will Mullen and freshman
Dane Armbrustmacher collected six strikeouts as the Bronco pitching staff struck out a total 10 Chippewa batters. Mullen in 2.2 innings of work struck out a career-high five in 16 batters faced.
WMU held the lead for the majority of the game until the Chippewas posted four runs in the final three innings of play to pull ahead. The game was tied at 4-4 in the bottom of the ninth prior to CMU drawing a walk with the bases loaded and one out to clinch the series opening victory.
The Broncos and Chippewas continue their series on Saturday, April 27 with first pitch set for 1:00 p.m. WMU drops its overall record to 13-24 and 6-8 in conference play.
It was a quick start for the Broncos in game one, scoring three runs on one hit in the top of the first. Western Michigan loaded the bases with two outs for Grys who roped an opposite field three-RBI double to give the Brown & Gold an early 3-0 advantage.
After holding CMU hitless in the first two innings, the Brown & Gold extended its lead in the top of the third with one run on two hits. Roche led off the inning with a single to left field and two batters later moved to third after an error by the CMU third baseman.
In the next at-bat, O'Keefe laced an RBI single through the left side of the infield to score Roche from third and give WMU a 4-0 lead.
On the mound Modrzynski retired the first nine batters he faced before Central Michigan got on the board in the bottom of the fourth with a solo home run over the left center field wall. CMU cut into the Bronco lead in the bottom of the seventh after an RBI double to centerfield cut WMU's lead down to 4-2.
CMU tied the game in the bottom of the eighth thanks to a two-RBI double down the left field line. In the ninth, CMU loaded the bases with one out prior to Evan Kratt drawing a walk to bring home the game-winning run.