HUNTSVILLE, Ala.  – The Western Michigan baseball offense exploded for 12 runs on 12 hits with two home runs and seven stolen bases in a 12-2 rout of Alabama A&M on Friday afternoon at Bulldog Field.

Six different Broncos registered a hit on Friday with four Broncos earning multi-hit games. Four separate Broncos also earned multi-RBI games while a pair of Broncos had two stolen bases. The four through seven hitters in the WMU line-up led the offensive attack going 8-for-18 with five RBIs and six runs scored. Overall WMU scored at least one run in every inning but the eighth to secure the victory.

It was a career day at the plate for senior Ethan Hajudkovic who was a single short of the cycle. Hajdukovic went 3-for-5 at the plate with two RBIs, two runs scored and a home run. Hajdukovic belted a two-run home run in the fifth inning for the fifth home run of his career. The Inverness, Ill., natives three hits was a career-high while his two runs scored match his career-high set back on April 10, 2019 against Notre Dame.

Along with Hajdukovic, junior Blake Dunn recorded a three-hit game going 3-for-5 with two runs scored and two RBIs. The Golden Spikes Award Watch list member also had two stolen bases and now has four through the first four games this season. Last season Dunn posted 30 stolen bases, the second most in a single-season in school history.

In the leadoff spot junior Connor Charping was 1-for-4 with two runs and two RBIs along with registering a career-high three stolen bases. Continuing his hot bat at the plate was fellow redshirt junior Logan Hudson who went 2-for-5 with two RBIs and a run scored. Hudson leads the Broncos this season with a .400 batting average and five RBIs.

Freshman Greg Budig in his third collegiate start behind the plate went 2-for-4 with two runs scored. Budig also drew a walk and earned his first career stolen base. Rounding out the Bronco offense was junior Sean O'Keefe with a 1-for-4 performance at the plate with his lone hit being a solo home run over the right field wall in the top of the eighth inning.

On the mound the Broncos got a stellar outing from sophomore RHP Brady Miller. In his second start of the season Miller threw seven innings, allowing two earned runs on four hits while matching his career-high with seven strikeouts. Miller is the first Bronco to strike out at least five batters since senior Jack Szott struck out five vs. Ohio last season.

Out of the bullpen the Broncos got dominant performances from senior Zach Mehelich and sophomore Drew Szczepaniak. The duo combined to go two innings, allowing no runs on just one hit while striking out four.

With the 12-2 victory Western Michigan improved its overall record to 2-2. The Brown & Gold returns to the field for a doubleheader against Alabama A&M on Saturday, Feb. 22. Game one of the scheduled doubleheader is set for 12:00 p.m. with game two begin a seven-inning contest scheduled for 3:30 p.m.

It was a quick start for the Broncos, scoring two runs on one hit and capitalizing on two Bulldog errors in the top of the first. Charping reached first to leadoff the game on an error and stole second base a pitch later to give WMU a runner in scoring position with no outs. After a Dunn single to left field, an Alabama A&M error resulted in Charping crossing home plate for the first run of the ballgame. Dunn scored a batter later on a sacrifice fly from junior Justin McIntyre.

The Bronco offense continued its momentum into the second inning as sophomore Will Morrison scored Greg Budig from third on a groundout to third base to extend the WMU lead to 3-0.

WMU added to its lead in the top of the fourth with two runs on two hits. After a fly out to third base, Ethan Hajdukovic registered his first career triple to right field to give the Broncos a runner in scoring position. After a strikeout, WMU drew back-to-back walks to load the bases for Charping who smoked a two RBI single to center field to give WMU a 5-0 advantage.

Alabama A&M got on the board in the bottom of the fourth as Trevor Berkemeyer connected on a solo home run to lead off the inning. However, WMU answered right back in the top of the fifth as Hajdukovic blasted a two-run home run over the right field wall to extend WMU's lead.

In the sixth the Broncos had runners on second and third with two outs prior to Logan Hudson connecting on a two-out two-RBI double to left center field, widening the Bronco lead to 9-1. WMU scored two more runs in the top of the seventh as Blake Dunn roped a two-RBI double to left field with the bases loaded and two outs to give WMU a 11-1 advantage.

The Bulldogs got on the board once again in the bottom half of the inning as a single to left field with two outs plated the Bulldog runner from third to trip WMU's lead down to 11-2. Western Michigan responded once again in the top of the eighth as Sean O'Keefe smashed his first home run of the season over the right field wall to extend the Bronco lead.

In the bottom of the ninth, Szczepaniak secured the victory for the Broncos registering three strikeouts in four batters faced for the 12-2 win.