LEXINGTON, Ky. – Western Michigan and Kentucky were even at 5-5 heading into the eighth inning on Sunday, but the Wildcats put together a big inning to push past the Broncos, 16-5, in the finale of the two teams' three-game weekend series at Kentucky Proud Park.
 
FINAL SCORE: Kentucky 16, Western Michigan 5 (F/8)
LOCATION: Kentucky Proud Park (Lexington, Ky.)
RECORDS: Western Michigan (1-5) | Kentucky (7-0)   
W: Darren Williams (1-0) | L: Nolan Vlcek (0-1)
 
Three different Broncos had multiple hits, as Connor Charping, Will Morrison and Dylan Nevar collected two hits apiece on the afternoon. Gavin Doyle and Morrison each drove in a pair for Western Michigan. Charping and Justin McIntyre each scored twice for WMU, and Charping extended his on-base streak to 16 consecutive games.
 
In his first start as a Bronco, Nick Crandell went five innings and struck out a career-high four. Nolan Vlcek also fanned a career-best four Wildcats and did not allow a hit in his two-plus innings of relief work.
 
Western Michigan opened the scoring in the top of the first, as McIntyre scored on an error. Kentucky tied it with one run in its half of the first, then tallied two more in the second to grab a 3-1 edge.
 
The Broncos drew level in the third, as Morrison brought Greg Budig around with a run-scoring double, and Charping came home on a Doyle ground ball.
 
Kentucky regained a two-run advantage with single tallies in the third and fourth frames.
 
Morrison and Doyle again helped Western Michigan tie it up in the fifth, as the duo notched back-to-back RBI singles to make it 5-5. The Broncos loaded the bases with two outs in the frame, but the Wildcats kept WMU from moving in front.
 
Western Michigan continues its non-conference schedule next weekend, March 4-6, with a four-game series at SIUE. The series opener between the Broncos and Cougars is set for Friday afternoon at 4 pm.