KALAMAZOO, Mich. – The Western Michigan baseball team collected its eighth consecutive win on Tuesday as it rolled past Goshen College, 12-2. WMU's winning streak is its longest since it won nine in a row in 2005.
 
FINAL SCORE: Western Michigan 12, Goshen 2 (F/7)
LOCATION: Robert J. Bobb Stadium at Hyames Field (Kalamazoo, Mich.)
RECORDS: Western Michigan (20-13) | Goshen (12-28)
W: Jake Gernon (1-1) | L: Benjamin Witterstaetter
 
Cade Sullivan paced the offense with three hits and three runs in the contest, while CJ Richmond and Josh Swinehart drove in a team-high three runs apiece for the day. Richmond, Dylan Nevar, Swinehart and Brendan Harrity each registered a pair of knocks.
 
Western Michigan got its offense going right away, as it opened the scoring with a pair of runs in the bottom of the first. Jackson Kitchen led off with the first of his career-high four walks, stole second, advanced to third on a fly ball and then scored on a Sullivan single. With two outs, Swinehart plated Sullivan with a base hit.
 
Goshen notched a run in the third, but the Broncos answered with three in the home half of the frame. The inning started with back-to-back doubles, with Richmond driving Sullivan in with a two-bagger. Richmond eventually scored on a wild pitch, with Ben Campos capping the frame with a sacrifice fly.
 
The Maple Leafs edged a run closer in the fourth, trimming WMU's advantage to 5-2.
 
Western Michigan then erupted for six runs in the bottom of the fifth. Kitchen plated the first run of the inning on a bases loaded walk. Sullivan collected another RBI single, Richmond brought Grady Mee around with a sacrifice fly and Nevar found a hole on the left side of the diamond for a run-scoring knock. Swinehart delivered the final two tallies of the inning on a double to left center.
 
The score remained 11-2 until the bottom of the seventh, when Richmond ended the game with a lead-off solo blast to right center. The homer tied him with Sullivan for the team lead with eight.
 
In his first start on the mound since 2021, Ryan Watt gave the Broncos three innings and tied his career high with three strikeouts. Jake Gernon earned the win in relief for Western Michigan after tossing three scoreless frames and picking up three strikeouts of his own. Zach Vriesenga faced the minimum in the seventh after inducing an inning-ending double play ball.
 
Western Michigan heads to Jackson Field in Lansing, home of MiLB's Lansing Lugnuts, on Wednesday evening to take on Michigan State. First pitch between the Broncos and the Spartans is slated for 6:05 pm.
 
For tickets to any WMU baseball home game, visit wmubroncos.com/tickets.