KALAMAZOO, Mich. -- Sydney Stefanick picked-up a complete-game victory on her senior day when the Western Michigan softball team scored an unearned run in the eighth inning to defeat Ball State, 4-3, on Sunday afternoon at Ebert Field. The start of the contest was delayed three hours by rain.
The team honored four seniors before the game -- Stefanick,
Logan Carter,
Kaylen Glenfield and
Mackenzie Swinehart -- with all four contributing to the victory. Stefanick went the distance to secure her fourth win of the season. In eight innings of work she limited a potent Ball State attack to six hits and three earned runs. At the plate, fellow seniors
Kaylen Glenfield and
Logan Carter each went 2-for-4. Carter added a run and Swinehart went 1-for-3 with a run and an RBI.
Madison Duell was 2-for-3 with an RBI and
Sophia Ehlers went 1-for-3 with a run scored.
Darcie Huber started for Ball State and allowed three runs on six hits in four innings. Deborah Jones took the loss, allowing two hits and just one unearned run in 3.2 innings of work. Stacy Payton went 1-for4 with a two-run double, while Faith Hensley added an RBI. Haley Wynn was 2-for-4 with a run scored.
Just as they did all weekend, Ball State struck in the first on Payton's two-out, two-run double, to make it 2-0. It stayed that way until the fourth when Kramer grounded out with the bases loaded to score Swinehart. Ball State extended the lead to 3-1 in the fifth on a groundout by Hensely.
The Broncos rallied in the bottom of the fifth. Duell delivered an RBI double down the left field line to score Ehlers before Swinehart's sacrifice fly scored Duell to tie the game, 3-3.
Neither team managed to score again until the Broncos got some two-out magic in the eighth. Carter sent 1-0 pitch into right, past a diving Hayley Dominique, resulting in a double. Kramer then hit a ground ball to the hole between second and first. It kicked off the glove of Ball State second baseman Amaia Daniel and into right field, allowing Carter to score to win the game.
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| On Deck
The Broncos return to Ebert Field on Tuesday, May 11, when Toledo visits for a doubleheader starting at 1 p.m. Fans can hear both games live on WMUBroncos.com.
