RICHMOND, Ky. – Will Morrison and Josh Swinehart each swatted their first home runs of the new campaign, but a six-run eighth inning proved to be the difference, as Western Michigan fell to Bradley, 11-8, to open the 2022 season on Saturday.
 
FINAL SCORE: Bradley 11, Western Michigan 8
LOCATION: Turkey Hughes Field at Earle Combs Stadium (Richmond, Ky.)
RECORDS: Western Michigan (0-1) | Bradley (1-0)   
W: John Day (1-0) | L: Nick Crandell (0-1) | Save: None
 
Connor Charping and Morrison had a pair of hits apiece for Western Michigan from the top two spots in the order. Gavin Doyle reached base four times, collecting a double and three walks. Swinehart drove in three runs and scored twice for WMU. In their collegiate debuts, Brendan Harrity and Dylan Nevar each picked up the first hit of their collegiate careers.
 
Easton Sikorski got the starting nod on the mound for Western Michigan and surrendered three runs, two of which were earned, and struck out three over four innings of work. Brenden Lovell came on for the next three frames and yielded one earned run while fanning a career-high five.
 
The Broncos came out of the box quickly, as Charping led off the season with a double. After moving to third on an error, the senior raced home as part of a double steal to put WMU ahead 1-0 in the first. Western Michigan tacked on another in the second, as Doyle drew a bases-loaded walk to make it 2-0.
 
Bradley pushed across three runs, one of which was unearned, in the third to take its first lead of the afternoon, 3-2.
 
The score remained the same until the sixth, when Swinehart scored on an error to make it 3-3. The Braves regained the advantage in the bottom of the frame to take a 4-3 lead into the seventh.
 
In the top of the seventh, another Bradley error allowed Doyle to come home, evening the score at 4-4. Swinehart then followed with a three-run shot to put the Broncos back on top, 7-4.
 
The Braves got a run back in the home half of the seventh, but Morrison belted a solo homer to left field in the top of the eighth to restore Western Michigan's three-run cushion, 8-5.
 
With two outs in the bottom of the eighth, Bradley plated a pair of runs on a double, then followed that up with the go-ahead grand slam to make it 11-8. Doyle led off the top of the ninth with a double for WMU, but was left stranded.
 
The Broncos and Braves wrap up their three-game series with a doubleheader on Sunday. First pitch of game one is set for 11 am.