LA JOLLA, Calif. – The Western Michigan baseball team got a strong start from
Ricky Kidd and four scoreless innings from its bullpen in a 5-2 victory at UC San Diego on Sunday.
FINAL SCORE: Western Michigan 5, UC San Diego 2
LOCATION: Triton Ballpark (La Jolla, Calif.)
RECORDS: Western Michigan (2-4) | UC San Diego (2-4)
W: Ricky Kidd (1-1) |
L: Nathan Ries (0-1) |
Save: Adam Lehmann (1)
After a pair of scoreless frames to start the contest, the Broncos broke the ice in the third.
Mason Pilarski bunted his way aboard, and then advanced into scoring position on an error. After moving to third on a
Drew Howard single, a second UCSD error allowed Pilarski to score the contest's first run.
UC San Diego hit a two-run homer in the bottom of the inning to grab a 2-1 edge.
Connor Ostrander responded for the Brown and Gold in the next half inning, launching a solo shot to even the contest at 2-2.
The Broncos then tallied three in the fifth to go back in front. With one out, Western Michigan notched four consecutive singles, with
Michael Maloney bringing the go-ahead run around in the form of
Tanner Mally.
Jacob Rowold followed with an RBI base hit the other way, and
Josh Polubinski capped the three-run outburst with a sacrifice fly.
The third-inning home run was all of the offense UC San Diego was able to muster on Sunday. Exactly a week after the Tritons upset #1 UCLA in Los Angeles, the Western Michigan pitching staff limited the home team to two runs on four hits.
Ricky Kidd got the staff started, giving up two runs on two hits over 5.0 innings to pick up his first victory for the Brown and Gold. Following the UCSD home run, Kidd retired the final seven batters he faced.
A quartet of relievers got the Broncos over the finish line, blanking the Tritons over the final four innings. With the bases loaded and one out in the sixth,
DJ Thompson buckled down and got the next two hitters to quash the threat.
Matt Hoover was then able to get Western Michigan out of another bases loaded jam unscathed in the seventh. With two on and one out in the eighth, the Broncos turned to
Turner Doran, who struck out back to back hitters to end the threat.
Adam Lehmann then closed it out with a scoreless ninth to collect his first save of the year.
Western Michigan continues its West Coast trip this week with a pair of contests at UNLV. First pitch for game one between the Broncos and the Rebels on Tuesday is set for 9:05 pm.
