MUNCIE, Ind.- Western Michigan baseball snapped a five-game skid with a 10-5 road win in game one of this weekend's Mid-American Conference series at Ball State.
Ryan McMillin put WMU on the board with a sacrifice fly in the first, after
Zach Thoma and
Jack Scanlon produced back-to-back singles with one out.
In his next at bat in the third, McMillin launched a two-run blast out over the center field wall for his team-leading sixth home run of the year. Patrick Duncan followed with a solo home run to left field, putting the Broncos on top, 4-0.
After a 69-minute rain delay, Ball State fought back with three runs in the bottom of the third, but WMU's offense kept rolling in the fourth, chalking up four more runs. Dan Shutes and Thoma each drew a walk, while Scanlon, McMillin and Duncan hit consecutive singles. McMillin's knock drove in one run and Duncan tallied two RBIs with his.
A leadoff double and an RBI single led to another run for Ball State in the fifth. Each team tallied a final run in the ninth. Making his first appearance after missing the last 15 games with a strained oblique, Troy Forton scored for WMU in the ninth on an RBI single by Scanlon.
The Broncos (18-24, 8-10 MAC) hammered 16 hits in the game. Scanlon and Duncan (three RBIs) had three hits apiece. McMillin (four RBIs), Shutes and Vinnie Booker each had two.
Senior southpaw Casey Webber threw 5.2 innings and struck out three to improve to 3-4 with the win. All four runs scored off Webber were after he returned to the mound after the hour-plus delay. With the three strikeouts, Webber moved into fifth place all-time for career K's with 199, passing Ethan Hollingsworth's 197.
Sophomore David Brennan hurled the final 3.1 innings for his second career save.
Ball State right-handed starter T.J. Weir (2-8) did not come back into the game after the downfall and was handed the loss in 2.2 innings of work. He allowed four runs on six hits while striking out three batters.
Western Michigan and Ball State (11-30, 6-13 MAC) take the field tomorrow at 1 p.m. for game two. Bronco LHP Steve Laudicina (4-4, 3.99 ERA) will take the mound against Ball State RHP Chris Marangon (1-5, 4.15 ERA).
