KALAMAZOO, Mich. – The Western Michigan baseball team opened up its 2023 home schedule with an 8-6 loss to Michigan State on Wednesday afternoon at Robert J. Bobb Stadium at Hyames Field.
FINAL SCORE: Michigan State 8, Western Michigan 6
LOCATION: Robert J. Bobb Stadium at Hyames Field (Kalamazoo, Mich.)
RECORDS: Western Michigan (5-17) | Michigan State (14-8)
W: Brian Martin (1-0)
| L: Jake Gernon (0-1)
| Save: Wyatt Rush (5)
Both teams had scoring opportunities in the early going, but neither team was able to push across a run until MSU tallied one in the top of the fourth. That fourth-inning run was the lone blemish against Western Michigan starter
Luke Thelen, who struck out three over his four innings of work.
The Broncos answered the Michigan State run with two of their own in the home half of the fourth, as
Jackson Kitchen and
Will Morrison were hit by pitches with the bases loaded in consecutive plate appearances to give WMU a 2-1 edge.
MSU responded with four in the fifth to go back on top, 5-2.
Cade Sullivan led off the bottom of the fifth with a double, and then scored on a
Josh Swinehart RBI single.
Jimmy Allen followed with the second of his three hits on the day, but a double play limited the Broncos to just one run in the frame.
Western Michigan then pulled to within one, 5-4, in the sixth, as Kitchen brought home
Brendan Harrity with a sacrifice fly.
The Spartans countered with two runs in the top of the seventh to reestablish a three-run cushion, 7-4.
After the first two Broncos reached to start the eighth,
Gavin Doyle ripped his third knock of the day, a two-run double, to close the gap to 7-6. One out later,
Dylan Nevar hit a hot shot back up the middle that seemed destined for center field, but it deflected off of MSU pitcher Harrison Cook, and right to shortstop Mitch Jebb, who threw out Nevar. Doyle advanced to third on the play, but was eventually left stranded.
Michigan State tacked on an insurance run in the top of the ninth to make it a two-run contest, 8-6, heading into the bottom of the ninth. Allen started the inning with a single, but the next three Broncos were retired to end the game.
Western Michigan resumes MAC play this weekend with a three-game series down in Oxford, Ohio, against Miami. First pitch of game one between the Broncos and the RedHawks is set for 5 pm on Friday evening.
