KALAMAZOO, Mich. – On Wednesday, Western Michigan softball split its doubleheader with Ball State winning its first outing, 4-1 before falling in the afternoon cap, 11-2 at Ebert Field
With the split, WMU improves its overall record to 13-17 and 7-4 in the Mid-American Conference play.
FINAL SCORE (G1): Western Michigan 4, Ball State 1
LOCATION: Ebert Field (Kalamazoo, Mich.)
RECORDS: Western Michigan (13-16, 7-3 MAC) | Ball State (17-21, 7-9 MAC)
W: Rissa Bajusz (9-6)
| L: Francys Russo (1-8)
FINAL SCORE (G2): Ball State 11, Western Michigan 2
LOCATION: Ebert Field (Kalamazoo, Mich.)
RECORDS: Ball State (18-21, 8-9 MAC)
| Western Michigan (13-17, 7-4 MAC)
W: Bridie Murphy (6-2)
| L: Autumn Godwin (4-6)
In the doubleheader the Broncos were led by the duo of junior
Cassidy Brendtke and sophomore
Payton Kelly, who each recorded a .667 batting average and .400 respectively. Brendtke along with
Haley Boxwell led the team with one RBI each while six Broncos registered hits.
In the circle, the Broncos totaled 13 strikeouts led by RHP
Rissa Bajusz with nine. As a team, WMU registered a .250 batting average and had a .321 on-base percentage.
Western Michigan 4, Ball State 1
Western Michigan secured a late rally victory, scoring four runs in the bottom of the fourth and fifth to defeat Ball State 4-1 in its first game of Wednesday's doubleheader. With the win the Broncos moved to 7-3 in the MAC and claimed the BSU series.
Brendtke knocked in
Courtney Farrish with an RBI double to left field to level the score in the bottom of the fourth, 1-1.
WMU posted runners on first and second in the bottom of the fifth. Kelly was hit by a pitch to load the bases, Boxwell reached on a Cardinal error and the Broncos brought in three unearned runs to claim a 4-1 lead.
Bajusz tossed a complete seven innings and handed out eight strikeouts, including a huge K in the sixth to escape a bases-load jam and help Western Michigan hold BSU off the board in their last two outings.
Ball State 11, Western Michigan 2
In the afternoon cap, WMU scored just two runs on six hits and was unable to halt the Cardinal offense as the Broncos fell to BSU, 11-2.
As a unit the WMU registered six hits each coming from a different Bronco.
Bella Gerlach went 1-for-1 at the plate while five players tacked 1-for-3. Boxwell recorded the lone run batted in while
Addison Hudson and Gerlach each scored a run.
Western Michigan looked to strike in the first inning as Hudson walked before advancing to second on a passed ball and again to third on a wild pitch to put WMU in touch of scoring. Boxwell drove an RBI single to second base to bring Hudson home for a 1-0 lead.
Scoreless in the second, Ball State answered with three runs in the third to claim a 4-1 lead.
Madysyn Lopez enter the circle and tossed a strikeout to end the fourth and add another scoreless inning.
BSU added two runs in the fourth and fifth each, followed by another three in the seventh. The Broncos got runners on base in three of the last four innings but were unable to convert a run to close the gap with the Cardinals.
Autumn Godwin pitched 4.2 innings and tossed two strikeouts before Lopez entered as relief to pitch two innings and tack on another two Ball State strikeouts.
Up next, Western Michigan travels to Central Michigan for a three-game series on April 15-16. WMU faces the Chippewas in a doubleheader on Saturday, April 15 with its series opener scheduled for a 1 pm start followed by game two shortly after. The two teams will conclude series play on Sunday, April 16 at noon.
