KALAMAZOO, Mich. – The Western Michigan baseball team dropped the opener of its four-game Mid-American Conference series against Miami, 14-4, on Friday afternoon.    
 
FINAL SCORE: Miami 14, Western Michigan 4 (F/7)
LOCATION: Robert J. Bobb Stadium at Hyames Field (Kalamazoo, Mich.)
RECORDS: Western Michigan (9-20, 6-9 MAC) | Miami (13-19, 9-11 MAC)
W: Jonathan Brand (6-1) | L: Jack Huisman (0-5)
 
Connor Charping and Will Morrison each had a pair of hits for the Broncos, with Morrison also driving in a run and scoring once. Cade Sullivan also reached twice on a hit and a walk, and has reached base at least twice in seven consecutive contests for WMU.
 
With two outs in the bottom of the first, Charping and Gavin Doyle put together back-to-back singles, but Western Michigan was unable to push any runs across.
 
Miami took advantage, and over the course of the next three innings, opened up a 9-0 lead.  
 
WMU once again put two runners on in both the fourth and fifth frames, but were turned away each time.
 
Trailing 12-0 in the sixth, WMU got its first run of the afternoon when Morrison and Josh Swinehart hit consecutive two-out doubles.
 
The RedHawks countered with two in the top of the seventh.
 
In the last of the seventh, Brendan Harrity came off of the bench to deliver a pinch-hit RBI double. With two outs, Sullivan and Morrison each delivered run-scoring base hits for Western Michigan, but the rally stopped there.
 
The Broncos and RedHawks continue their four-game weekend series with a doubleheader on Saturday at Robert J. Bobb Stadium at Hyames Field. First pitch for game one is slated for 12:05 pm.