LONGWOOD, Fla. – The Western Michigan softball team battled to a split on Friday at day one of The Spring Games in Longwood, Fla. The Broncos exploded for a season-high 11 hits with as many runs to defeat University at Albany 11-3 in five innings. In the nightcap, WMU fell to Loyola 4-3, the Ramblers earning the walk-off win in the first frame of extra innings.
Kaylen Glenfield,
Samantha Pico and
Emma Nuyen led the Broncos in game one, each going 2-for-3 at the plate. Nuyen crossed the plate twice while Glenfield had one run.
Mackenzie Swinehart went 1-for-3 with a season-high three runs batted in. Nuyen,
Samantha Coffel,
Sophia Ehlers and Pico each had two runs.
In the morning's game against Albany, Western Michigan earned an early run with an RBI single from Stefanick to bring home Pico, on base from a double out to right-center field. Albany came up with two runs of their own off hits from Morgan Petty and Katie Falotico.
Despite the threat, WMU didn't look back, tallying five runs in the second inning with a career-first home run by
Samantha Pico and hits from Swinehart, Glenfield, Coffel and Nuyen. Ehlers, Swinehart and Pico each ended the inning with an RBI. The Great Danes fought back with a run in the third inning, but it would be their last of the game. The Broncos added two more runs in their half of the third. Ehlers and Nuyen ended up on base each with a single, and came around to home after Swinehart reached first and advanced to second on an error by the center fielder.
Western Michigan's last three runs to win by the run rule came in the fourth inning.
Alyssa Kramer knocked a three-RBI blast out of the park to send in
Kaylen Glenfield and
Maggie Kehoe.
Sydney Stefanick earned the win for the Broncos in the first game. The junior pitcher tallied three strikeouts with three runs on four hits. Freshman
Autumn Godwin came in for relief in the fifth inning.
In the evening, Western Michigan was edged by the Loyola Ramblers. The Broncos took a 2-0 lead on a single by Stefanick and another from Coffel in the first inning, and extended their advantage in the third with an RBI double from Glenfield. LUC scored one run in the third and two runs in the second inning to tie things up at 3-3. The next frames went scoreless to push the game into extra innings. The Broncos' rally fell short with three straight outs in the top of the eighth. With Loyola up second in the eighth and the international tie breaker in place, the Ramblers placed Katie Polaski on second base. A groundout to second advanced the runner and a sacrifice fly-out from Jessica Sheilds scored the to seal the win for the Ramblers.
Stefanick suffered the loss, allowing three runs on seven hits and two walks over four innings. Reilly Galloway pitched the final 3.1 innings, surrendering the final run and four hits.
Loyola-Chicago had 11 hits in Friday's game two, while the Broncos had eight. Stefanick went two-for-four at the plate with two trips around the bases. Kramer had two hits, and Glenfield and Coffel each earned an RBI.
Western Michigan continues The Spring Games tomorrow against Dartmouth at 11 a.m. and No. 12 Kentucky at 1:30 p.m. in Longwood.
