MUNCIE, Ind. – The Western Michigan baseball team got a season-high five RBIs from Dylan Nevar and a strong outing from starting pitcher Dane Armbrustmacher to defeat Ball State, 10-1, on Saturday in the opener of a doubleheader. The Cardinals rebounded to take game two, 13-3.
 
FINAL SCORE (G1): Western Michigan 10, Ball State 1
LOCATION: Ball Diamond at Merchants Ballpark Complex (Muncie, Ind.)
RECORDS: Western Michigan (4-9, 1-1 MAC) | Ball State (9-6, 1-1 MAC)  
W: Dane Armbrustmacher (2-1) | L: Tanner Knapp (0-1)
 
FINAL SCORE (G2): Ball State 13, Western Michigan 3 (F/7)
LOCATION: Ball Diamond at Merchants Ballpark Complex (Muncie, Ind.)
RECORDS: Western Michigan (4-10, 1-2 MAC) | Ball State (10-6, 2-1 MAC)  
W: Jacob Hartlaub (2-2) | L: Luke Thelen (0-2)
 
After threatening in the first two innings of game one, WMU broke through in the third, putting together five consecutive hits to break the scoreless tie. Will Morrison and Gavin Doyle got the rally started with back-to-back base hits, with Cade Sullivan and Nevar each following up with an RBI single. Jimmy Allen brought Sullivan and Nevar home with a two-run double, and Greg Budig then capped the five-run outburst with a two-out run-scoring double.
 
The Broncos got four more in the fourth inning on one swing of the bat, as Nevar launched Western Michigan's first grand slam of the season to make it 9-0.
 
The nine-run cushion was plenty for Armbrustmacher, who turned in another strong start on the mound. The southpaw dealt 6.1 innings, allowing one run on five hits while registering six strikeouts. Armbrustmacher also got help from his defense, who turned double plays behind him to end Ball State threats in both the fourth and fifth frames.
 
Armbrustmacher gave way to Hayden Berg, who went the final 2.2 innings for Western Michigan and struck out four while keeping the Cardinals off of the scoreboard.
 
Ball State's lone tally of game one was a sixth-inning home run. WMU got its final run of the opener in the ninth, as Allen knocked in his career-high tying third run of the day to restore the nine-run margin.  
 
In game two, Western Michigan again broke a scoreless deadlock in the third inning, as Jackson Kitchen brought in a pair with a double.
 
Ball State quickly answered in the bottom of the inning, as the hosts pushed across nine to seize a 9-2 advantage.
 
Sullivan led off the next frame with an infield single and eventually scored on a wild pitch, but BSU answered with a tally of its own in the home half and two more in the bottom of the fifth. The hosts closed out the day with one more in the bottom of the seventh.
 
The Broncos return to Kalamazoo for their home opener on Friday, March 17, as they welcome Eastern Michigan to Robert J. Bobb Stadium at Hyames Field. First pitch for Friday's game is set for 3:05 pm.