NASHVILLE, Tenn. – The Western Michigan baseball team headed into the seventh inning in a 2-2 tie, but Lipscomb got its offense going late to pick up a 9-5 win over the Broncos in non-conference action on Tuesday afternoon.
FINAL SCORE: Lipscomb 9, Western Michigan 5
LOCATION: Ken Dugan Field (Nashville, Tenn.)
RECORDS: Western Michigan (0-11) | Lipscomb (4-8)
W: Davis Rokose (1-0) |
L: Adam Lehmann (0-1)
Western Michigan grabbed the lead early, plating a run in the top of the second.
Avery Thielman led off with the frame with a double, moved to third on a sacrifice bunt, then scored on a
Brendan Harrity base hit.
The Broncos doubled their advantage in the third, scoring in similar fashion. This time it was
Cooper Hums who started the inning with a double and advanced to third on a bunt.
Grady Mee then delivered the run-scoring knock to make it 2-0.
Lipscomb scored its first run of the day in the home half of the third, trimming WMU's edge to 2-1. Reliever
Joe Shapiro got the Broncos out of a jam in the fourth and dealt a scoreless fifth to keep the lead intact.
The Bisons pushed across a run in the sixth, sending the contest into the seventh tied at 2-2.
The hosts broke the deadlock with a five-run seventh to move ahead for the first time.
Western Michigan came right back with three in the top of the eighth. A walk, hit batter and infield single loaded the bases for Thielman, who collected an infield single of his own to bring
Tanner Mally home.
Michael Maloney collect an RBI with a bounce out, and Harrity then notched his second run-scoring knock of the day to make it 7-5. A walk loaded the bases again for the Broncos, but a double play ended the threat.
Lipscomb answered with a two-run homer in the bottom of the eighth to push the margin to four.
WMU got a leadoff single in the ninth, but another double play ended the rally attempt.
The Broncos head to Muncie, Ind., this weekend to begin Mid-American Conference play with a three-game series at Ball State. First pitch for Friday's series opener is scheduled for 2 pm.
