LA JOLLA, Calif. – Western Michigan senior second baseman
Drew Howard went a perfect 5-for-5 at the plate, but Omaha rallied late to pick up an 8-7 victory as a part of day one of the Tony Gwynn Legacy Tournament on Friday at UC San Diego's Triton Ballpark.
FINAL SCORE: Omaha 8, Western Michigan 7
LOCATION: Triton Ballpark (La Jolla, Calif.)
RECORDS: Western Michigan (1-3) | Omaha (2-3)
W: Brayden Curtis (1-0) |
L: Turner Doran (1-1) |
Save: Nate Moquin (2)
Howard's five knocks were a career high and consisted of four singles and a double. It marked the first five-hit game by a Bronco since Jackson Kitchen hit for the cycle against Northern Illinois on May 10, 2024.
Western Michigan struck first just two batters into the contest, as
Tanner Mally opened the game with a triple and Howard followed with an RBI single. Mally also had a big day at the dish, tying his career high with four hits.
Omaha tallied two in the third to move in front, 2-1.
The Broncos came right back in the next half inning, with
Nolan Zajac and Mally each knocking in a run to briefly take a 3-2 advantage.
The back and forth continued in the home half of the frame, with the Mavericks pushing across a run to even the contest at 3-3.
Western Michigan then erupted for four in the fifth. Howard led off with a single, his third of the day, and eventually scored on a wild pitch to put his team back on top.
Avery Thielman knocked in a run, Zajac picked up his second RBI of the contest and the final run then scored on an Omaha error to make it 7-3.
WMU starter
Ty McKinstry followed with a shutdown frame in the home half, getting a double play turned behind him to face the minimum for the third time. The righty worked 5.0 innings and yielded three runs while striking out four.
The Broncos maintained their lead until the seventh, when the Mavericks pushed across five to wrestle the lead away, 8-7.
WMU's best chance at a rally came when it picked up a pair of hits in the eighth, including Howard's fifth of the day, but both runners were left stranded.
The Broncos and Mavericks are slated to meet again on Saturday afternoon. First pitch is set for 3 pm at the University of San Diego's Fowler Park.
