BOWLING GREEN, Ky. – Redshirt junior right-hander Brady Miller threw seven shutout innings to help Western Michigan to a 5-4 win over Eastern Michigan on Saturday afternoon. The Eagles came from behind late to win the second game of the day, 12-11.
 
FINAL SCORE (G1): Western Michigan 5, Eastern Michigan 4
LOCATION: Nick Denes Field (Bowling Green, Ky.)
RECORDS: Western Michigan (5-10, 2-2 MAC) | Eastern Michigan (8-6, 2-2 MAC)  
W: Brady Miller (1-2) | L: Thomas House (1-2)
 
FINAL SCORE (G2): Eastern Michigan 12, Western Michigan 11
LOCATION: Nick Denes Field (Bowling Green, Ky.)
RECORDS: Western Michigan (5-11, 2-3 MAC) | Eastern Michigan (9-6, 3-2 MAC)  
W: Tyler Helgeson (2-0) | L: Ryan Watt (0-2) | Save: Luke Russo (2)
 
Miller was dominant right from the start, as he retired the first eight Eagles he faced, and did not allow a hit until the fifth inning. The righty blanked Eastern Michigan over seven innings on three hits and equaled his career high with seven strikeouts.
 
The Broncos got Miller the lead early, scoring in each of the first three innings. Cade Sullivan knocked in the first tally of the day with a sacrifice fly in the opening frame. In the second, Josh Swinehart picked up the first of his team-high four RBIs on the afternoon with a double, and later scored on a Jackson Kitchen ground ball. Greg Budig tied his career high with three knocks in game one, including an RBI single in the third to make it 4-0.
 
Eastern Michigan mounted little in the way of threats against Miller, who retired the side in order in four of his first six innings of work. The Eagles loaded the bases in the seventh, but Miller induced a ground ball to keep EMU off of the scoreboard.
 
In the bottom of the seventh, WMU's advantage was extended to 5-0 on a Sullivan solo shot, his team-leading fifth long ball of the season.
 
The Eagles pushed across four in the eighth inning to draw within one, but Hayden Berg set down five of the final six hitters he faced to seal the Western Michigan victory.
 
WMU grabbed an early lead again in game two, plating five in the opening frame. Gavin Doyle drove in the first run with a double, Dylan Nevar brought in a run with grounder, Jimmy Allen ripped a two-run double and Swinehart capped the five-run outburst with an RBI base hit.
 
After the Eagles responded with four in the third, the Broncos struck back with three in the bottom of the inning. Swinehart registered another RBI single and Brendan Harrity plated two with a double, pushing the Western Michigan edge to 8-4.
 
Will Morrison extended the WMU cushion to five, 9-4, with an RBI infield single in the fifth. The center fielder had a four-hit day for the Broncos, including three knocks in game two.
 
Eastern Michigan clawed back to within two with a three-run sixth. Western Michigan responded with two in the home half on sacrifice flies by Swinehart and Budig.
 
The Eagles scored two in the eighth, again shrinking the gap to two, 11-9. With two outs in the top of the ninth, EMU notched a three-run homer to go ahead by one, its first lead of the day. The Broncos got a one-out single in the home half, but a line drive double play extinguished the rally.
 
The rubber match of the three-game weekend series between the Broncos and Eagles is set for Sunday afternoon. First pitch is set for 1 pm at Western Kentucky's Nick Denes Field in Bowling Green, Ky.