BOWLING GREEN, Ohio – The Western Michigan baseball team yielded four runs in the bottom of the first, and could not dig out of that early hole, falling 4-0 to Bowling Green in the opener of the two teams' four-game Mid-American Conference series on Friday.
 
FINAL SCORE: Bowling Green 4, Western Michigan 0
LOCATION: Steller Field (Bowling Green, Ohio)
RECORDS: Western Michigan (12-22, 9-11 MAC) | Bowling Green (10-24, 7-16 MAC)
W: Gage Schenk (3-4) | L: Nick Crandell (1-3)
 
Five of the first six batters reached in the bottom of the first for Bowling Green, and the hosts took advantage, plating four in the frame.
 
After the four-run first, Nick Crandell settled in for Western Michigan, retiring six Falcons in a row at one point. Crandell and southpaw Drew Szczepaniak combined to shut BGSU out over the final seven innings of the contest. Crandell tossed six-and-two-thirds frames, while Szczepaniak got the final four outs of the afternoon for the Broncos.
 
The WMU offense put the leadoff runner on base in each of the first two innings, but a first-inning walk was erased on a double play, and Gavin Doyle was stranded at second after beginning the second inning with a double.
 
Dylan Nevar led off the fifth inning with a single, but once again Western Michigan was unable to take advantage.
 
Bowling Green threatened to tack onto its lead in the bottom of the seventh, but Szczepaniak came on and induced an inning-ending flyout to quell the threat.
 
Will Morrison singled with two outs in the eighth for the Broncos, but got no further.  
 
WMU and BGSU continue their four-game weekend series on Saturday afternoon with a doubleheader beginning at 12:05 pm. Righty Brenden Lovell (2-1, 5.06 ERA) is slated to take the mound for the Broncos in game one, while the Falcons will counter with fellow right-hander Andrew Abrahamowicz (1-2, 9.27 ERA).