Western Michigan Baseball Outhits FAMU, but Drops the Second Game of the Series

COURTESY WMU ATHLETICS

TALLAHASSEE, Florida -- The Western Michigan baseball team outhit the defending Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) Champion Florida A&M, but the Rattlers still beat the Broncos 9-0 at Moore-Kittles Field.

WMU falls to 0-8 this season in a game where they produced their highest hit total of the year while FAMU improves to 6-5 and has now won three straight games.

The Broncos had chances to score, finishing with 11 hits and three walks and put at least one runner on in every inning besides the ninth. In the top of the second inning, Hunter Prince led the inning off with a double down the right field line and Jesse Forestell singled to right center to put runners on the corners with no outs. In top of the third, the Broncos had runners on first and third with two down. In the top of the sixth, WMU loaded the bases with nobody out after a Rattler error, a Forestell single and an Alex Goodwin bunt single.

In the top of the eighth inning with no outs and runners on first and second, Connor Smith lined out to the third baseman, but it looked as though the ball was trapped. FAMU threw the ball to second to tag one runner out and stepped on the base to get the third runner out for not tagging up. The WMU runners played the ball as if it was not caught.

FAMU took an early lead with one run in each the second and third innings. The inning started with a hit batsman while the Rattlers also drew a one-out walk. Shane Gordon hit an RBI single to left field to score the first run. In the bottom of the third with two outs, the Rattlers had back-to-back singles after a walk to plate another run and go up 2-0.

The Rattlers extended their lead to 5-0 with a big fourth inning that included three hits, one walk and a hit batsman. With one out, FAMU had a walk, hit batsman, RBI single, RBI double and an RBI single in that order. Sophomore Jake Bartels entered to get the final out of the inning. FAMU added four more runs in the bottom of the seventh inning to make it 9-0 off four hits and three walks.

Tanner Allison suffered the loss, pitching 3.0 innings allowing two runs on three hits and four walks with five strikeouts. Nic Laio pitched a scoreless 1.2 innings to finish out the game and struck out one batter as well. The Broncos used five pitchers in the game.

Forestell finished 3-for-4, Steve Pastora went 2-for-4 and Goodwin went 2-for-2. Nelson finished with a double, his third of the season. Prince also hit his first double of the season. Catcher Mitchell Ho threw out both runners that tried to steal on him.

The Broncos and Rattlers square off again tomorrow for the final game of the series. First pitch will come at 1 p.m. with Derek Schneider scheduled to take the mound for the Broncos.

COURTESY WESTERN MICHIGAN UNIVERSITY ATHLETIC MEDIA RELATIONS