MANHATTAN, KS.  – Western Michigan baseball senior Drew Devine and redshirt junior Logan Hudson each had a home run against one of the nation's top pitching staffs in a close 9-8 loss to Kansas State on Friday night.  

The Broncos tallied eight runs on 10 hits against Kansas State, the second most runs the Wildcats have given up this season. Western Michigan had three players with multi-hit games with juniors Connor Charping and Sean O'Keefe each having three.

Charping went 3-for-5 at the plate with a triple and one run scored while O'Keefe was 3-for-4 with two doubles and two runs scored. Rounding out the multi-hit performances was redshirt junior Logan Hudson going 2-for-5 at the plate with a home run, two RBI's and two runs scored. Hudson blasted a two-run home run in the top of the seventh inning with two outs to propel the Bronco lead 8-4.

Along with Hudson senior Drew Devine earned his first home run of the season, blasting a three-run shot in the fourth inning off of Kansas State's 2021 Golden Spikes Award Watch List member Jordan Wicks. Devine was 1-for-4 at the plate against the Wildcats with one run scored and three RBI's.

The five through seven hitters of Hudson, O'Keefe and Devine combined to go 6-for-13 with five runs scored, two home runs, two doubles and six RBIs. Redshirt freshman Will Morrison also earned a hit, going 1-for-4 with a double and a run scored.

Against 2021 Golden Spikes Award Watch List member and reigning National Pitcher of the week Jordan Wicks of Kansas State, the Broncos recorded four earned runs on six hits in six innings of work. It was the most earned runs Wicks has given up since May 22, 2019 against and the second most of his career. The projected first round draft pick gave up just one earned run in four starts last season.

On the mound for the Broncos sophomore RHP Easton Sikorski shined going five innings allowing just three earned runs on six hits with six strikeouts. Sikorski threw 89 pitches on Friday night with 57 going for strikes. Out of the bullpen freshman RHP Hayden Berg threw 1.2 innings giving up just one hit in 10 batters faced with three strikeouts.

Western Michigan dropped its first game of the 2021 campaign and will look to rebound in game two of the series with Kansas State on Saturday, Feb. 27. First pitch is set for 3:00 p.m. from Tointon Family Stadium.

The two teams were scoreless through the first three innings of play before the Brown & Gold offense came to life with four runs on three hits in the top of the fourth. With runners on first and third with one out, Sean O'Keefe laced a line drive through the right side to score Justin McIntyre and give WMU a 1-0 lead.

Western Michigan increased its score three pitches later off the bat of Drew Devine who belted a three-run home run to left center field to give WMU a 4-0 lead. It was Devine's first home run since March 1, 2019 at South Florida.

The Bronco lead got trimmed own to one in the bottom of the fifth as Kansas State responded with a three-run home run. WMU rallied right back in the top of the sixth as senior Ethan Hajdukovic registered a sacrifice fly to left field to give the Brown & Gold a 5-3 advantage.

In the bottom of the sixth the Wildcats looked to regain the lead after an RBI double to left center field with two outs cut the Bronco lead down to 5-4. After an intentional walk the bases were loaded before Hayden Berg earned the two-out strikeout to get out of the jam.

Western Michigan extended its lead in the top of the seventh, scoring three runs on three hits. Will Morrison led the inning off with a double before scoring the next play on a Kansas State error after a bunt single by Connor Charping. Leading 6-4, Logan Hudson extended the Bronco led to four on a two-run home run to right field.

The Broncos led 8-4 heading into the bottom of the eighth before the Wildcats scored five runs on three hits and one error to gain its first lead of the game. The five-run eighth inning for Kansas State was highlighted by a solo and three-run home run.

In the top of the ninth the Broncos got the tying run into scoring position with two outs before a strikeout ended the WMU comeback attempt.