AKRON, Ohio- The Western Michigan (15-31, 7-14 MAC) baseball team battled for a 3-2 victory in game three Sunday at Akron (12-32, 8-12 MAC).
Senior Chris Bossenbery (2-0) allowed just two hits over three innings of relief to pick up the win on the mound.
Junior Steve Buglione led the Bronco offense, going 3-for-5 at the plate with a run scored and an RBI. Buglione got WMU started with a leadoff single in the top of the first and crossed home plate on a sacrifice fly by Jared Kujawa.
The score remained 1-0 until the seventh inning when Buglione drove in Vinnie Booker with a single to center field. Booker had reached base with his fifth double of the season.
WMU starter Mike Moyer kept Akron's bats fairly quiet through the first six innings. After putting the first two batters on in the seventh, he would give way to Bossenberry. Tyler Begun tied the game with a two-run double off of the reliever.
The Broncos fought back to score the eventual game-winning run in the top of the eighth. Patrick Duncan hit a one-out single to extend his current hitting streak to nine games. Brandon Cable and Brooks Beilke followed with singles of their own, Beilke recording an RBI.
Both Cable and Theo Piccirilli batted 2-for-3 in the game. WMU had 12 hits overall, while the Zips had eight.
Reliever Zach Beaver (2-2) was the pitcher of record for Akron.
Western Michigan returns from this weekend's road trip to close out the 2013 regular season with an eight-game homestand, beginning Tuesday against Michigan State at 3 p.m. WMU will also host MAC opponents Kent State (May 10-12) and Central Michigan, as well as non-conference foe Notre Dame (May 14).
