IOWA CITY, Iowa – The Western Michigan baseball team dropped both ends of a doubleheader at #20 Iowa on Saturday, 13-8 and 21-6.
FINAL SCORE (G1): #20 Iowa 13, Western Michigan 8
LOCATION: Duane Banks Field (Iowa City, Iowa)
RECORDS: Western Michigan (5-15) | #20 Iowa (18-3)
W: Zach Voelker
(3-0)
| L: Dane Armbrustmacher (2-2)
FINAL SCORE (G2): #20 Iowa 21, Western Michigan 6 (F/7)
LOCATION: Duane Banks Field (Iowa City, Iowa)
RECORDS: Western Michigan (5-16) | #20 Iowa (19-3)
W: Ty Langenberg (3-2)
| L: Ethan Houghtaling (1-3)
Western Michigan struck first in game one, as
Jackson Kitchen delivered a two-out, two-run single to make it 2-0 in the second. The Hawkeyes came right back in the home half, however, as they answered with four runs of their own.
The Broncos regained the lead in the third with three more tallies.
Josh Swinehart brought in a run with a double,
Dylan Nevar plated
Jimmy Allen with a ground ball, and
Greg Budig then put WMU back on top, 5-4, with an RBI double.
Iowa responded again in the bottom of the inning, pushing across three to move ahead, 7-5. The Hawkeyes extended the margin to 11-5 with a four-run fifth.
WMU cut the deficit in half in the sixth, as
Gavin Doyle delivered a three-run double. Doyle led the Broncos with five RBIs for the day.
Iowa answered with one in the home half, then struck again in the eighth inning to round out game one.
In game two, the Hawkeyes jumped out to an 8-0 advantage over the first couple of innings.
Western Michigan pulled two back in the third, as Doyle knocked in a pair with a double, his fourth and fifth RBIs of the day.
The Iowa offense kept pushing, and the Broncos were held off of the scoreboard until notching four runs in the sixth. Kitchen singled in a pair,
Connor Ostrander was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded to bring home a run, and
Cade Sullivan capped the frame with a sacrifice fly.
Western Michigan wraps up its stretch of five consecutive games against Big Ten opponents on Wednesday, March 29, as it welcomes Michigan State to Robert J. Bobb Stadium at Hyames Field for its 2023 Home Opener. First pitch between the Broncos and Spartans is slated for 3:05 pm.