YPSILANTI, Mich. – Dylan Nevar went deep and drove in four runs to help Western Michigan earn a split of its doubleheader at Eastern Michigan on Saturday. The Broncos dropped the first game, 3-2, but bounced back to take the finale, 10-5.
Hayden Berg came out of the bullpen in game two and earned the victory after working a career-high five innings without yielding an earned run.
FINAL SCORE (G1): Eastern Michigan 3, Western Michigan 2 (F/7)
LOCATION: Oestrike Stadium (Ypsilanti, Mich.)
RECORDS: Western Michigan (4-17, 2-6 MAC) | Eastern Michigan (10-13, 6-4 MAC)
W: Adam Falinski (3-2)
| L: Joe Shapiro (0-5)
FINAL SCORE (G2): Western Michigan 10, Eastern Michigan 5
LOCATION: Oestrike Stadium (Ypsilanti, Mich.)
RECORDS: Western Michigan (5-17, 3-6 MAC) | Eastern Michigan (10-14, 6-5 MAC)
W: Hayden Berg (2-2)
| L: Thomas House (1-3)
Nevar homered in the opener as part of a day that included three hits, three runs and four RBIs.
Connor Charping posted four hits in game two, while Doyle added three knocks and scored twice.
Josh Swinehart went 2-for-4 with two RBIs in the finale.
After working a scoreless sixth inning to finish out game one,
Brenden Lovell took the ball for the Broncos to start game two, and yielded two earned runs across four innings. Berg took over in the fifth, walked the first batter he faced, and proceeded to set down the next 14 Eagles in a row. The right-hander did not allow an earned run and yielded just two baserunners in his career-high five innings of relief. Berg also racked up a career-high six strikeouts.
The Broncos struck first in the opener, as Doyle brought
Jimmy Allen in with a first-inning single. EMU came right back in the bottom of the first with a run to even the contest at 1-1.
Western Michigan had an opportunity to regain the advantage in the third, but left the bases loaded. The Eagles took advantage, seizing a 3-1 lead with back-to-back home runs in the home half of the frame.
The score remained the same until Nevar led off the seventh inning with a solo home run to bring the Broncos within one, 3-2. However, the next three WMU batters went down in order to give Eastern Michigan the one-run victory.
In game two, Eastern Michigan plated two runs in the first to grab the early advantage. WMU responded with a five-run fourth.
Will Morrison and Swinehart evened the score with back-to-back sacrifice flies. With two on and two out, Allen singled to center, but the ball got by the EMU center fielder, allowing all three runners to score, which put the Broncos ahead, 5-2.
After the Eagles pulled two back in the home half, Western Michigan countered with two more in the fifth to restore its three-run advantage. Doyle and Nevar began the frame with consecutive doubles, and Swinehart brought Nevar in with a base hit to push the margin to 7-4.
WMU responded to an unearned EMU tally in the fifth with two more in the sixth, as Nevar plated a pair with a single. Charping delivered the contest's final run with a double into the right field corner in the seventh.
The Broncos and Eagles close out their four-game weekend series on Sunday afternoon. First pitch is slated for 1 pm in Ypsilanti.
