KALAMAZOO, Mich.- The Western Michigan baseball team dropped its Mid-American Conference opener, 8-5, Friday to Miami. The teams will play two more games over the next two days at Robert J. Bobb Stadium at Hyames Field, both first pitches Saturday and Sunday are scheduled for 2 p.m.
Western Michigan (7-10, 0-1 MAC) scored two runs in the third to take a 2-1 lead, but watched as Miami went on to score at least one run in each of the remaining six frames.
With the home side down four in the bottom of the seventh, a two-run home run by senior outfielder Jared Kujawa cut into the deficit and pulled the Broncos within two, 6-4.
Miami scored a run in the top of the eighth to go ahead 7-4 and the Broncos tried to get something going in the bottom of the inning but the RedHawks successfully held off the rally attempt.
WMU loaded the bases in the bottom of eighth with one out. Grant Miller doubled to the gap in left, followed by walks by pinch hitter Beau Filkins and Tyler Frank. WMU came up empty handed however as a shallow flyout and strikeout ended the inning, stranding all three base runners.
Miami and Western Michigan each put a run on the board in the ninth to make for an 8-5 final. Kujawa led off the bottom of the ninth with an infield single and stole second. Kurt Hoekstra slapped a ball through the right side for a one-out RBI single.
Western Michigan was held to six hits in the game and just two in the first six innings. Miami starting right-handed pitcher Chad Powers went 6.1 innings and struck out five.
Bronco right-hander Chad Mayle went 5.0 innings before giving way to LHP Jacob Piechota. Mayle (2-2) surrendered eight hits, five runs and a walk in the loss. Piechota went 3.1 innings and RHP Pat Haynes recorded the final two outs.
Miami totaled 12 hits as a team. The RedHawks improved to 3-14 on the season, 1-0 in the MAC.
Kujawa batted 2-for-4 with a walk and a pair of stolen bases. The home run was his second of the season and the seventh of his career. Hoekstra and Brett Sunde each finished with a hit and an RBI.
Projected starters for tomorrow's game are LHP Derek Schneider (1-1, 5.40 ERA, 19 K) for Western Michigan and RHP Jacob Banks (1-4, 3.41 ERA, 21 K) for Miami.
