KALAMAZOO, Mich. – Freshman second baseman Grady Mee homered for the second consecutive day to get Western Michigan to within one, but the Broncos fell, 5-4, to Akron on Saturday afternoon in the middle game of the two teams' three-game weekend series.
 
FINAL SCORE: Akron 5, Western Michigan 4
LOCATION: Robert J. Bobb Stadium at Hyames Field (Kalamazoo, Mich.)
RECORDS: Western Michigan (8-20, 5-6 MAC) | Akron (13-17, 6-8)
W: Emmett Gillies (2-1) | L: Dane Armbrustmacher (3-3)
 
The Zips opened the scoring with a pair of runs in the top of the first inning. Western Michigan loaded the bases in the bottom of the inning, but was unable to dent the scoreboard.
 
WMU did cut the deficit in half in the bottom of the second, as Jimmy Allen drilled a double to straightaway center field which brought Mee around to score.
 
Akron tacked on single runs in the fourth, fifth and sixth frames to boost its advantage to 5-1.
 
With WMU still trailing 5-1 in the bottom of the sixth, Mee launched a three-run shot to right to bring the Broncos to within one, 5-4. It was the second straight day with a home run for Mee, who picked up the first of his collegiate career in Friday's series opener.
 
Dane Amrbrustmacher started on the mound for the Broncos and worked six innings while picking up eight strikeouts. The southpaw has struck out five or more in all seven of his starts in 2023.
 
The WMU bullpen kept the deficit at just one, as the duo of Joe Shapiro and Hayden Berg worked three scoreless frames and totaled five strikeouts.
 
Freshman Luke Kerrins drew a nine-pitch walk to load the bases with two outs in the seventh for Western Michigan, but the Broncos were turned away. WMU did not get a runner past first base over the final two innings.
 
The rubber match of the three-game series between the Broncos and Zips is set for Sunday afternoon from Robert J. Bobb Stadium at Hyames Field. First pitch is scheduled for 1:05 pm.