ROSEMONT, Ill. – The Western Michigan softball team combined for 17 hits in two games on Saturday afternoon, but fell to Valparaiso 9-5, and Western Illinois, 2-1, in the final contests for the Broncos at the DePaul Dome Tournament.
 
Game 1 vs. Valparaiso
 
In the early game, Valpo (1-3) jumped out to a 3-0 in the top of the second inning. However, the Broncos (1-4) exploded for five runs in the bottom half of the frame, after freshman Darcy Barkauskas sparked the rally with a leadoff single through the left side. Four different Broncos tallied an RBI, including a two-RBI double by junior Alyssa Kramer to put WMU ahead, 5-3.
 
Valpo responded with four runs in the fourth, one in the fifth, and one in the six, and kept the Broncos off the board the rest of the way. Valpo finished with nine runs on 10 hits with two errors, while WMU had five runs on nine hits and two errors.
 
Shuey, Kramer, Reily Galloway and Cassidy Brendtke each doubled in the game. Sophomore Rissa Bajusz allowed just one hit over 1.2 innings in relief.
 
Game 2 vs. Western Illinois
 
Western Illinois took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning, but WMU starting pitcher Mikayla Barnard shut down the Leathernecks over the next five frames.
 
The Broncos still trailed 1-0 heading into the seventh inning, and sophomore Taylor Garey delivered a pinch-hit triple to leadoff the inning. She scored the game-tying run after a clutch base hit from Brendtke with one out.
 
WIU had some clutch hitting of its own in the home half, and had a walk-off sacrifice fly following a leadoff triple.
 
Looking ahead, the Broncos are back in action on Feb. 26 and Feb. 27 at the Bellarmine Tournament in Louisville, Ky. They will take on Bellarmine and Green Bay.