MOUNT PLEASANT, Mich. – The Western Michigan baseball team trimmed a five-run deficit down to two, but Central Michigan scored five in the bottom of the seventh inning to halt the WMU rally and take the series opener between the two rivals, 11-4, on Friday.
 
FINAL SCORE: Central Michigan 11, Western Michigan 4
LOCATION: Keilitz Field at Theunissen Stadium (Mount Pleasant, Mich.)
RECORDS: Western Michigan (15-27, 12-16 MAC) | Central Michigan (29-14, 22-5 MAC)
W: Jordan Patty (5-3) | L: Nick Crandell (2-4)
 
Greg Budig and Gavin Doyle each had a pair of hits, with Doyle driving in three runs for Western Michigan. Doyle and Connor Charping, who homered, extended their respective hitting streaks to 11 in a row. Charping also stretched his on-base streak to 17 straight games, the longest such streak by a Bronco this season.
 
Justin McIntyre was hit by a pitch in the first inning, which tied him for the Western Michigan single-season program record with 22 this season. McIntyre reached third base in that opening inning, but was left stranded.
 
The game remained scoreless until the fourth, when CMU pushed across three runs to grab the lead. The Chippewas tallied another in the fifth, and held a 4-0 advantage after five.
 
Charping got Western Michigan on the board in the sixth, as he led off with a solo home run, his third of the season.
 
Central Michigan answered with two more in the home half, extending the margin to 6-1.
 
With two outs in the seventh, WMU loaded the bases for Doyle, who promptly cleared the bases with a three-run double, shrinking the deficit to 6-4.
 
CMU came right back in the next half inning with five to put the game beyond reach.
 
The Broncos and Chippewas are slated to continue their four-game weekend series with a doubleheader starting at 12 pm on Saturday. Southpaw Dane Armbrustmacher (3-4, 4.98 ERA) is scheduled to get the ball in game one for Western Michigan, while CMU will counter with righty Andrew Taylor (6-3, 2.24 ERA).