Box Score

WINTER HAVEN, Fla.- Brian Stroud tied a career high with nine strikeouts, but Valparaiso got to the junior right-hander in the sixth, scoring five runs on seven hits in a 10-7 comeback win for the Crusaders Tuesday. Sophomore shortstop Ryan McMillin drove in three runs, hitting a triple and his first career home run.

Three singles and a walk resulted in two runs for Valpo in the second as the Crusaders jumped out to a 2-0 lead. Western Michigan tied the game with two unearned runs in the top of the third and posted a run in each of the next two innings to go up two, 4-2. Chris Lewis drove in a run in the third. Tim Cross doubled in the fourth and scored on McMillin's RBI triple. Jack Scanlon reached on an error in the fifth and scored, unearned, on a sac fly by Jamie Simpson.

After giving up the three singles in the second, Stroud allowed just two hits over the next three innings and sat down the side in order in the fourth. The Crusaders got to Stroud again in the sixth however, scoring five runs on seven hits. Valparaiso led the rest of the game.

McMillin's two-run home run in the eighth brought WMU back to within one, 7-6. Valpo responded with three runs in the bottom half of the inning. Lewis scored a final Bronco run, again unearned, on a Cross single in the ninth.

Valparaiso (3-6) had three errors in the game while Western Michigan committed four.

John Navage threw the seventh and eighth for WMU, surrendering three runs (one earned) on two hits. Stroud (0-2) took the loss on the mound. His nine K's matched performances against Eastern Michigan (4/18) and Central Michigan (5/9) last year.

Freshman Jimmy Martinez had three of the Broncos' eight hits, going 3-for-4. WMU fell to 0-7 on the season.