KALAMAZOO, Mich. – Trailing 6-0 at one point, the Western Michigan baseball team came all the way back to force extra innings, but ultimately fell, 11-9, to Ohio in 11 innings on Thursday.    
 
FINAL SCORE: Ohio 11, Western Michigan 9 (F/11)
LOCATION: Robert J. Bobb Stadium at Hyames Field (Kalamazoo, Mich.)
RECORDS: Western Michigan (18-31, 11-17 MAC) | Ohio (13-36, 8-20)
W: Jack Geiser (2-1) | L: Matt Hoover (3-1)
 
Ohio got started early, taking the lead two batters into the contest on a solo home run. The Bobcats added two in the third, one in the fourth and two more in the fifth to take a 6-0 lead after four-and-a-half innings.
 
Western Michigan started to chip away at the deficit in the bottom of the fifth, when a two-out double by Tanner Mally brought Diego Pena in to score.
 
The Broncos then erupted for five in the sixth. Dylan Nevar led off with a triple, and came around on a Lucas Rick sacrifice fly. Two walks and a hit batter then loaded the bases for Pena, who drew a free pass of his own to bring in Avery Thielman. Brendan Harrity plated a run with a sacrifice fly, and Michael Maloney then tied the game at 6-6 with a two-out, two-run single.
 
The contest remained even until Ohio scratched across a two-out run in the eighth to grab a 7-6 edge.
 
WMU answered right back in the home half, taking advantage of an error to bring the game level once again.

Still tied in the 10th, the Bobcats pushed across another two-out tally to regain the lead.
 
Once again the Broncos countered, with Maloney again providing the game-tying knock for the Brown and Gold.
 
Ohio broke the 8-8 deadlock with three in the top of the 11th.
 
Harrity kept Western Michigan's chances alive with a two-out RBI single, but that was all the hosts mustered in the home half.
 
The Broncos and Bobcats continue their series on Friday, with first pitch scheduled for 2:05 pm from Robert J. Bobb Stadium at Hyames Field. For tickets to any WMU home game, visit wmubroncos.com/tickets.