KALAMAZOO, Mich. – Despite posting double-digit hits for the 11^th time this season the Western Michigan baseball team fell to SIU-Edwardsville 13-4 in the series opener on Friday afternoon.

For the 11^th time in 23 games the Broncos earned double-digit hits while having one double and one home run. The junior duo of Connor Charping and Sean O'Keefe were the lone Broncos to have multi-hit games while four different Broncos registered an RBI on Friday.

Charping led the team with a 3-for-4 performance at the plate with one RBI. It was Charping's ninth multi-hit game of the season and fourth three-hit ballgame. The Trenton, Mich., native extended his hitting streak to seven game and has reached base safely in 17 straight games.

Behind Charping was fellow junior Sean O'Keefe who went 2-for-4 with one RBI. It was also O'Keefe ninth multi-hit game of the year and sixth two-hit performance. In the leadoff spot sophomore Will Morrison went 1-for-5 with one RBI and one run scored. Morrison continues to swing a hot bat for the Brown & Gold, leading the team with a .365 batting average. 

Senior Ethan Hajdukovic was 1-for-3 at the plate in the series opener with one RBI, one run scored, one walk and one home run. Hajdukovic's home run in the bottom of the seventh was his second home run of the season. As the designated hitter, redshirt junior Logan Hudson was 1-for-3 with WMU's lone double and a walk.

Rounding out the hitting for the Broncos was sophomore Jimmy Allen and freshman Josh Swinehart who each recorded a hit.

On the mound the Broncos used four different pitchers totaling 14 strikeouts. In his third start of the season senior LHP Brandon Petersen went four innings, allowing just one walk while striking out nine. Junior RHP Brenden Lovell was a bright spot for the Broncos out of the bullpen, going 3.1 innings, allowing no runs on one hit and striking out three.

Despite the loss the Broncos have won eight of their last 11 games and have an overall record of 10-13. Western Michigan and SIU-Edwardsville are back in action on Saturday, April 17 for a doubleheader beginning at 12:05 p.m.

The Broncos got off to a fast start scoring one run in both the first and second inning. WMU got on the board first in the bottom of the first with one run on three hits. After a sacrifice fly to centerfield WMU had runners on first and third with two outs. In the
next at-bat, Sean O'Keefe delivered an RBI single to right field to score Will Morrison and give the Brown & Gold an early 1-0 advantage.

WMU went right back to work in the bottom of the second scoring one run on two hits. With one out WMU had runners on the corners for Will Morrison who reached base on a fielder's choice, advancing Jimmy Allen home to propel the Bronco lead to 2-0.
SIU-Edwardsville offense came to life over the next three innings, scoring three runs in the third, four runs in the fourth and five runs in the fifth to grab a 12-2 lead. Western Michigan rallied back and trimmed the SIUE lead down to eight after runs in the sixth and seventh innings.

In the sixth Charping delivered a two-out RBI single to right field to score Drew Devine from third and cut the WMU deficit down to 12-3. In the first at-bat of the seventh Ethan Hajdukovic blasted his second home run of the season over the right field wall to trim the Bronco deficit down to eight. The Cougars added one more run in the top of the ninth en route to a 13-4 series opening victory.