KALAMAZOO, Mich. – Sophomore right-hander Nick Crandell tossed a complete game to lead Western Michigan to a 7-1 victory in the opener of Friday's doubleheader against Northern Illinois. The Huskies outlasted the Broncos, 10-8, in 11 innings in the second game of the day.
 
Following the games, Western Michigan and Northern Illinois announced that due to weather, the two teams have altered the scheduled for the final two games of the series. The Broncos and Huskies are now slated to close out their four-game set with another doubleheader beginning at 12:05 pm on Saturday.
 
FINAL SCORE (G1): Western Michigan 7, Northern Illinois 1 (F/7)
LOCATION: Robert J. Bobb Stadium at Hyames Field (Kalamazoo, Mich.)
RECORDS: Western Michigan (14-24, 11-13 MAC) | Northern Illinois (7-32, 6-17 MAC)
W: Nick Crandell (2-3) | L: Matt Salomonson (2-2)
 
FINAL SCORE (G2): Northern Illinois 10, Western Michigan 8 (F/11)
LOCATION: Robert J. Bobb Stadium at Hyames Field (Kalamazoo, Mich.)
RECORDS: Western Michigan (14-25, 11-14 MAC) | Northern Illinois (8-32, 7-17 MAC)
W: Kyle Seebach (2-6) | L: Hayden Berg (3-4) | Save: Michael Lasiewicz (1)
 
Crandell did not yield an earned run over his seven innings to pick up his first complete game as a Bronco. It was also the first complete game thrown by any Western Michigan pitcher this season.
 
Cade Sullivan and Gavin Doyle each had a three-hit game on the day for Western Michigan, with Sullivan reaching all four times he came to the plate in game one. Jimmy Allen combined to hit for the cycle over the two contests, notching a triple and a homer in the opener, and picking up a single and a double in the finale. Connor Charping also had a pair of hits in game one, while Greg Budig and Dylan Nevar delivered two knocks apiece for the Broncos in game two.
 
After giving up hits to the first two NIU hitters of game one, Crandell settled in and retired the next eight Huskies in a row. The righty faced the minimum over each of the next four innings, with the lone baserunner erased on a caught stealing by Charping.

The Broncos staked Crandell to a three-run lead in the third, as Sullivan collected an RBI single, Allen tripled in a run, and Will Morrison brought in a run with a double.
 
Western Michigan then tacked on four more in the fourth, capped by an Allen two-run homer, which stretched the advantage to 7-0.
 
A sixth-inning error opened the door for NIU's lone run of game one, but a double play helped keep the Huskies from drawing any closer. Northern Illinois put two more on in the top of the seventh, but Crandell retired the next two to close out the victory.
 
In game two, Northern Illinois plated two in the opening inning to seize an early 2-0 edge.
 
Trailing 3-0 in the third, Western Michigan pushed across four runs to take the lead. Morrison came home on an error, Doyle doubled in a run, and Sullivan evened the score with a run-scoring bounce out. Allen then found the right-center field gap for another double which put the Broncos ahead, 4-3.
 
WMU tacked on single runs in the fourth and fifth, with Budig notching a run-scoring double in the fourth, and Josh Swinehart extending the advantage to 6-3 with a fifth-inning sacrifice fly.
 
Northern Illinois rallied, plating five in the seventh to retake the lead, 8-6. In the bottom half, Sullivan brought Western Michigan within one with a solo home run.
 
In the bottom of the ninth, Charping led off with a single, stole second, moved to third on a Doyle single, then came home to tie the game on an Allen RBI single. WMU got the winning run to third, but the runner was stranded, sending the game into extra innings.
 
Charping was once again in scoring position for Western Michigan in the bottom of the 10th, but the Broncos could not bring him around to score.
 
NIU then moved back ahead with two in the top of the 11th. Nevar doubled with two outs in the bottom of the frame to keep the Broncos alive, but WMU's comeback attempt ended there.
 
Western Michigan and Northern Illinois close out their series on Saturday afternoon with another doubleheader. First pitch for game one is scheduled for 12:05 pm. Both games will be available on Bronco All-Access and the Bronco Media Network.