YPSILANTI, Mich. – Dane Armbrustmacher struck out seven and yielded just one hit over five shutout innings to help lead Western Michigan to a 6-4 win over Eastern Michigan in the finale of the two teams' four-game weekend series on Sunday afternoon at Oestrike Stadium in Ypsilanti.
FINAL SCORE: Western Michigan 6, Eastern Michigan 4
LOCATION: Oestrike Stadium (Ypsilanti, Mich.)
RECORDS: Western Michigan (6-17, 4-6 MAC) | Eastern Michigan (10-15, 6-6 MAC)
W: Dane Armbrustmacher (2-2)
| L: Nick Chittum
(0-1)
Save: Nolan Vlcek (2)
Armbrustmacher yielded a double to the second batter he faced, and did not allow another hit for the remainder of his five innings. The southpaw fanned seven over his five innings of work, marking the third consecutive start he's piled up at least six strikeouts. Behind Armbrustmacher,
Easton Sikorski tossed a pair of scoreless frames, while
Ethan Houghtaling held Eastern Michigan off of the board in the eighth. The trio shutout the Eagles and limited the hosts to just a pair of hits over the contest's first eight innings.
At the plate,
Connor Charping,
Justin McIntyre and
Cade Sullivan each had a pair of knocks for the Broncos, with Charping and Sullivan driving in two runs apiece. Charping also launched his first home run of the season.
Jimmy Allen scored three times out of the leadoff spot to equal his career high.
With the bases loaded in the first, Sullivan deliver a clutch two-out, two-run single to give Western Michigan an early 2-0 edge. In the home half, Armbrustmacher stranded a one-out double after dealing back-to-back strikeouts.
Eastern Michigan put two on against the WMU southpaw in the third, but again a strikeout helped Armbrustmacher work his way out of trouble unscathed.
In the next half inning, the Broncos added to their lead, again with two outs. Allen kept the frame alive with a single which brought
Will Morrison around, and Charping followed with a two-run blast to push the WMU edge to 5-0.
The Eagles loaded the bases with two outs in the bottom of the fifth, but Armbrustmacher once again wiggled his way out of trouble, punching out his seventh to keep Western Michigan's 5-0 cushion intact.
WMU added its sixth two-out run of the afternoon in the top of the sixth, as McIntyre plated Allen with a base hit.
Sikorski retired six of the seven batters he faced across the sixth and seventh innings, with Houghtaling setting the Eagles down in order in the eighth to send the game into the ninth with the Broncos still in front, 6-0.
In the bottom of the ninth, EMU's offense came alive, as the hosts put up four runs and had the bases loaded with two outs.
Nolan Vlcek came on for the Broncos and picked up a pair of strikeouts to slam the door on the Eagles and earn his second save of the campaign.
Western Michigan returns to Robert J. Bobb Stadium at Hyames Field on Tuesday afternoon for a makeup game against Ball State. First pitch between the Broncos and Cardinals is set for 4:05 pm.
