AKRON, Ohio - The No. 8 seeded Western Michigan softball team had its season end with an 8-0 loss to No. 4 seed Northern Illinois University Thursday morning during a Mid-American Conference Tournament elimination game. 

The 2019 Broncos finished their season with an 18-28 overall record. 

NIU downed the Brown & Gold in five innings, headlined by a four-run fourth inning. Huskie starting pitcher Mackenzie Bryan limited Western Michigan to just three hits and five baserunners in five innings pitched.

Sophomore Reily Galloway started in the circle for the Broncos and surrendered a RBI double in the first inning before allowing three more in the second and was replaced by Sydney Stefanick. 

Stefanick pitched 2.2 innings and allowed four runs, three unearned, while the Bronco defense was held back by a pair of errors. NIU claimed a 4-0 lead heading into the third inning. 

Four Huskie runs off three hits led to the 8-0 advantage in the fourth. Brooke Wyman and Mackenzie Swinehart tallied two-out singles in the fifth, but a strikeout ended the game. 

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