Sunday's Softball Results
Courtesy of MAC Athletic Communications
Sunday's Scoreboard
Akron 4, Michigan State 2
Ball State 14, Lipscomb 2
Bowling Green 16, Canisius 1
Bowling Green 3, Robert Morris 2
Buffalo 6, Florida A&M 1
UIC 6, Central Michigan 5
Miami 4, Loyola Chicago 3
NIU 8, Texas State 3
Ohio 10, Northern Kentucky 2
Ole Miss 4, Western Michigan 3
Akron
Results
DELAND, Fla. – On the final day of competition at Stetson's Westin Lake Mary Lead-Off Classic, the University of Akron softball team captured a 4-2 win over Michigan State on Sunday morning.
The win was the second for the Zips (2-3 overall) this season, while it marked the first loss for the Spartans (4-1 overall).
"We played a very good game today," head coach Julie Jones said. "I am very happy with the way we bounced back this weekend and finished strong. Erin struggled early but worked very well throughout the rest of the game. We executed when we needed to, and it paid off."
The Spartans, who shutout UA in the first game of the tourney, scored two runs in the top of the first. Akron responded with a run of its own as senior second baseman Kellie Roudabush (Hilliard, Ohio) scored after singling and stealing third.
The Zips added the go-ahead run in the bottom of the second as sophomore Savannah Fruin (Delray Beach, Fla.) nailed a two-RBI home run to right field.
Akron added an insurance run in the bottom of the fourth by junior McKenzi Rhodes (Marengo, Ohio) who reached on an error. MSU threatened but did not score again.
Junior right-hander Erin Seiler (Bowling Green, Ohio) pitched a complete game and earned her second victory on the mound for the Zips. She fanned 10 batters and walked three.
Rhodes and Seiler were named to the All-Tournament team. Rhodes batted .556 in the five tourney games with five hits and two doubles. Seiler pitched both Zips' victories, striking out 25 batters and walking seven in 19.0 innings of action.
Akron returns to tourney action next weekend, travelling to Jacksonville, Fla., on Feb. 13-15. The Zips face Syracuse in opening round action on Friday, Feb. 13, at 1 p.m.
Ball State
Results
NASHVILLE, Tenn. - - After playing from behind in most of their first three games, the Ball State softball team exploded for five first-inning runs in a dominating 14-2 (6 inn.) victory at Lipscomb Sunday afternoon to close play in the Music City Classic.
Junior first baseman Sammi Cowger (Fenton, Mich./Fenton) had the Cardinals (3-1) offense rolling early, blasting a two-out grand slam in the top of the first inning, while Ball State as a team connected for a season-high 13 total hits to hand the Lady Bison (3-1) their first loss of the young season.
Junior pitcher Nicole Steinbach (Merrillville, Ind./Andrean) shined in her second outing of the year, holding last season’s NCAA Regional runner-ups to seven hits and two runs over 6.0 innings of work. She also struck out six batters while yielding just one walk.
Senior catcher Jessica Craft (LaPorte, Ind./LaPorte) led the Cardinals at the plate with three hits, including a two-run infield single in the top of the sixth inning. She also scored three runs while leading the squad defensively with seven putouts.
With one out in the top of the first inning, senior right fielder Loren Cihlar (St. Charles, Ill./St. Charles North) reached base on an error, and advanced to third on a single from junior second baseman Emily Dabkowski (Plainfield, Ind./South Putman). After Dabkowski stole second, senior left fielder Hanne Stuedemann (Mattawan, Mich./Mattawan) sliced a single through the right side to bring home the game’s first run.
With runners on the corners, Craft loaded the bases with a single of her own. After an infield fly put the second out on the scoreboard, Cowger smashed her second home run of the season, and first career grand slam, to give Ball State a 5-0 edge.
Host Lipscomb managed to get one run back in the bottom of the first, after Brittany Elmore opened with a triple and scored on a grounder to second two batters later.
Ball State’s offense continued to roll in the top of the second, as junior shortstop Selena Reyna (Houston, Texas/South Houston) led off the inning with a double to right center. Sophomore center fielder India Steward (Matteson, Ill./Rich South) followed with a walk, while a Cihlar ground out allowed both runners to advance. Reyna then came home on a passed ball, while Dabkowski’s second sacrifice fly of the season plated Steward and pushed the score to 7-1.
The Cardinals extended their lead to 8-1 in the top of the third inning, thanks to a leadoff single by Craft and a two-out RBI single from Reyna.
After Lipscomb tallied their second run of the game in the bottom of the fifth, the Ball State offense exploded for six runs in the top of the sixth to put the game out of reach. Steward and Cihlar started the rally with back-to-back one out singles. Following the inning’s second out, Stuedemann was hit by a pitch to load the bases. A wild pitch would bring the first run home, while Craft followed with a two-run single off the Lipscomb third baseman.
Leading 11-2, the Cardinals saw sophomore designated player Amanda Arnett (Monroe, Mich./Monroe) single and sophomore pinch hitter Hayley Cruthers (Swartz Creek, Mich./Swartz Creek) draw a walk to load the bases. Freshman third baseman Julia Bailey (Lafayette, La./Teurlings Catholic) followed with a bases-clearing double to cap the scoring in the game.
Lipscomb’s first runner in the bottom of the inning was able to reach base via a single, but Steinbach responded with a strikeout and then forced back-to-back fly outs to end the game.
The Ball State softball team returns to action Friday, when it opens play in the Tiger Invitational hosted by Auburn with games versus Georgia State (5:45 p.m. ET / 4:45 p.m. CT) and the host Tigers (8 p.m. ET / 7 p.m. CT).
Bowling Green
Game 1 Results
Game 2 Results
CLEVELAND, Ohio (BGSU Athletic Communications) – The Bowling Green State University softball team used very different methods on Sunday (Feb. 8), but each resulted in the same outcome: a win. The Falcons dismantled Canisius College, 16-1 in five innings, before defeating Robert Morris University by a 3-2 count at the Cleveland State University Dome Tournament.
The Canisius contest was over almost before it began, as the Falcons (3-1) exploded for 10 runs in the top of the first inning. BG added six second-inning runs, just for good measure.
In the second game, the Falcons spotted RMU a second-inning lead, then rallied for three late-inning runs. Braiden Dillow, who earned the win in the circle against Canisius, came on in the seventh to get the final two outs of the Robert Morris game, in relief of Jamie Kertes.
"I was pleased with our focus today," said BGSU coach Shannon Salsburg. "In game one, we came out attacking, and our offense really set the tone for that game. Braiden and Bri (Briana Combs) did a good job of keeping their hitters guessing and the defense made plays behind them. It was a great team win.
"The best part of game two is that it wasn't easy. Robert Morris had a solid pitcher who really had us guessing. It was great to see us manufacture runs from behind, and Jamie gave us a solid performance on the mound."
As was the case on Friday, the Falcons utilized a balanced attack at the plate on Saturday. Five Falcons had two hits apiece on the day, and three players scored three runs each. Aspen Searle (pictured above, along with coach Salsburg) led the way, with two hits, three runs scored, five runs batted in and four stolen bases in as many attempts. Her two hits both went for extra bases, as she had a double and a triple on the day.
Chloe Giordano and Molly Holliday each scored three runs on Saturday, while Marina Cobbs drove in three runs.
Kayla Koch and Trista Mokienko each homered, and the Falcons hit .353 with runners in scoring position over the two games.
Walks led to runs in the first inning of the Canisius game. The first six batters of the game drew bases on balls, and three runs had crossed the plate before a batter ever put a ball in play.
Searle drew a walk to start the game, and promptly stole second, then third base. Cobbs walked to put runners at the corners, and stole second base on the very next pitch. With Mokienko at the plate, back-to-back wild pitches scored Searle, then Cobbs.
Mokienko, of course, walked, and Koch followed suit. Another wild pitch put two runners in scoring position, and a fifth-straight walk, to Morgan Evangelista, loaded the bases and signalled the end of the day for Canisius starting pitcher Sarah Andrews. But, reliever Carey Seeger walked Haley Schrock to plate another run, and Giordano's single to right scored Koch and made it a 4-0 game.
Katee Hinkle followed with a single, and took second on an error by the CC centerfielder. Evangelista and Schrock scored on the play, with Giordano taking third.
Holliday reached on an infield single, with the runners holding, and the bases were loaded once again. Still, there were no outs. Searle, batting for the second time in the inning, lined a ball to left field that resulted in a ground-rule double and scored a pair of runs to give BG an 8-0 lead. That lead reached 10-0 when Cobbs singled to center to plate Holliday and Searle.
After 11 consecutive runners had reached base to start the game, Canisius finally got out of the inning on a double-play and a grounder to shortstop.
Dillow sat down the Golden Griffins in the bottom of the inning, allowing only a two-out single up the middle, and the Falcons went back to work in the second.
Evangelista led off that second inning with -- what else? -- a walk, and Schrock singled through the left side to send pinch-runner Dillow to second. Dillow was retired at third when the Canisius third baseman gloved a hard-hit ball by Giordano, but Hinkle reached second on an error, with Schrock scoring and Giordano taking third.
Searle reached on a fielder's choice, with Hinkle scoring to give the Falcons a 13-0 lead. A grounder by Cobbs plated Holliday, Searle scored on a wild pitch and Mokienko put the Brown and Orange up by 16 runs when she clubbed a homerun to straightaway center.
Canisius got a run in the bottom of the second on a one-out single, followed by a double to the left-field fench, but the game was all but over long before then.
Holliday gunned down a runner trying to score from second base on a single in the third inning, with Evangelista blocking the plate to make the tag and record the inning-ending out.
Combs worked the final two innings in the circle in relief of Dillow, allowing just one hit. Dillow surrendered one run and five hits, moving to 2-0 on the young season. Searle scored three runs, drove in three more and stole three bases in the win, while Cobbs also had three RBI. Giordano, Hinkle, Holliday, Mokienko and Schrock each crossed the plate twice.
In the second game, Robert Morris starting pitcher Nicole Sleith became the first opposing hurler to keep the Falcons from scoring in the first inning in 2015. In fact, Sleith pitched a masterful game against the Brown and Orange, allowing only three hits and striking out 14 batters without issuing a walk. The Falcons, however, made the most of those three hits.
The Colonials got a leadoff baserunner in the first inning, but Evangelista threw her out trying to steal second, and Kertes retired the side on a grounder to short and a popup to first base. In the second inning, though, Olivia Lorusso's leadoff homer to right-center gave RMU the lead on the first pitch of the inning.
BG put two runners in scoring position in the third inning, but Sleith got an inning-ending strikeout to end the threat. The Falcons turned a double play to get out of the bottom of the third.
Each team got a baserunner in the fourth, but neither the Falcons nor the Colonials could capitalize. In the fifth, however, BG broke through.
With one out in that fifth inning, Giordano was hit by a pitch, but a bunt attempt was caught by the catcher for the second out. Holliday, however, singled through the left side for the Falcons' first hit of the game, and Searle followed by ripping a triple to the right-field wall, scoring both Giordano and Hollliday and giving BG the lead.
Kertes worked a one-two-three sixth inning, getting a strikeout, a fly ball to center and a grounder to short, and the Falcons got another run in the bottom of the inning as Koch homered to right to give the Brown and Orange a 3-1 lead.
The Colonials had several hard-hit balls in the sixth, but all resulted in outs. The Falcons were retired in order in the top of the seventh, and in the bottom of the inning, Kertes induced the leadoff hitter to pop up to Hinkle at short. The next hitter, Alexis Schwartzmiller, homered to left, cutting the Falcons' lead to a single run, and Dillow replaced Kertes in the circle.
Dillow proceeded to get Samantha Santillo to hit a fly ball for the second out, and when Mary Funderllich hit a harmless grounder to first base, the Falcons had the victory.
Kertes picked up the win, allowing two runs and five hits in her six-and-a-third innings of work. She walked one batter and struck out six. Dillow earned her first save of the season.
The Falcons now prepare for the College of Charleston Tournament in Charleston, S.C., on Feb. 20-22. BGSU will face Appalachian State, Winthrop, Massachusetts, Pittsburgh and the host school at that tourney.
Buffalo
Results
TROY, AL – The University at Buffalo, The State University of New York, softball team ended its season-opening weekend on a high note Sunday morning as the Bulls defeated Florida A&M, 6-1. The Bulls are now 2-3 on the season.
Senior Hayley Barrow gave the Bulls a solid performance in the circle and at the plate to lead the way for UB. Florida A&M got on the board first as it staged a two-out rally in the top of the second inning to take a 1-0 lead. However, the Bulls came right back in the bottom of the second as Savanna Norcio and Barrow opened the frame with back-to-back hits. They moved into scoring position following a sacrifice bunt from Nora McGuire and a Karly Nevez walk loaded the bases with two outs. Head coach Trena Peel turned to her bench as freshman Nicolette Jacobs came on as a pinch hitter and she cleared the bases with a grand slam to left field, giving the Bulls a 4-1 lead.
The score remained the same heading into the bottom of the sixth when the Bulls added to their lead. Barrow opened the inning with a double and the Bulls loaded the bases with one out. Following a fielder's choice, senior Alexis Curtiss singled up the middle, scoring a pair of runs and giving the Bulls a 6-1 advantage.
Barrow closed out Florida A&M with a pair of strike outs in the seventh as she picked up her first win of the year. Barrow went the distance and allowed just four hits, while striking out 10. She also went 3-for-3 from the plate, with a double.
Curtiss went 2-for-3 with a pair of runs batted in, while Norcio and Jacobs collected the other two hits. For Jacobs, it was her first collegiate home run.
"We finally showed up for seven complete innings and I am proud of Hayley for getting the job done in the circle," said Peel. "I'm very happy for Nikki Jacobs. She got the job done when her number was called and that is what I am looking for in my freshmen."
The Bulls will be back in action next weekend as they head to Arlington, TX for the Maverick Invitational.
Central Michigan
Results
ROSEMONT, Ill. - Illinois-Chicago pushed across five runs in its final two at-bats Sunday to hand the Central Michigan softball team a 6-5 loss in the Chippewas' fourth and final game at the season-opening Loyola/UIC Invitational.
The Chippewas (0-4), who go next weekend to the Campbell/Cartier Classic at San Diego State, built a 5-0 lead through 4 ½ innings before the Flames rallied.
The Chippewas committed two errors in the game, giving them eight in their four tournament contests.
"I thought that every game we had some crucial defensive mistakes," CMU coach Margo Jonker said. "In a couple of the games we hit pretty well, but we were kind of inconsistent offensively.
"I am disappointed with the weekend. I didn't expect this. I thought we'd come out stronger. We anticipate that we'll come back, do a lot of work, and get better for next weekend."
CMU got an RBI triple from Lacy Tolfree and run-scoring singles from Trista Cox, Maison Kalina and Kristen Goodall in building their five-run lead.
UIC got a run in the bottom of the fifth to cut CMU's lead to 5-1, then used two singles and two walks to score three times in the sixth to draw within 5-4.
The Flames scored both of their seventh-inning runs after two were out, piecing together a walk, a single, a CMU throwing error, and an infield hit.
Rachael Knapp went the final 2 1/3 innings for CMU and took the loss. She allowed five runs (three earned) on four hits while walking four.
Freshman Taylor Weaver made her first career start in the circle for CMU, allowing one run on six hits while walking two over 4 1/3 innings.
Her performance came one day after another freshman hurler, Hanna Weaver, allowed just four hits and struck out five in a 1-0 loss to Western Illinois.
"I thought Hanna pitched a really good game (Saturday) and Taylor Weaver did a pretty good job in the circle today," Jonker said.
Chelsea DeLamielleure tripled and singled and Kalina had two hits to lead CMU's seven-hit attack.
Karissa Frazier earned the win in relief of Bridget Boyle. Frazier went five innings, allowing two runs on four hits while striking out three and walking one.
Miami
Results
ROSEMONT, Ill. – The Miami University softball team completed a successful opening weekend with a 4-3 victory over Loyola (Chi.) on Sunday. It was the final game of the indoor Total Control Sports Invite tournament. The RedHawks improve to 3-2 on the season, while the Ramblers fall to 2-2.
Miami struck first with a run in the top of the second inning. Junior first baseman Hailey Reed led off with a single to left center. Senior designated player Megan Mattera followed with a single to center field. A sacrifice bunt by senior shortstop Kylie McChesney moved both runners up a base. Sophomore third baseman Jenna Jones grounded out to first base, allowing Reed to come home and score to make it 1-0.
The contest remained a pitcher’s duel until the RedHawks broke it open with three runs in the top of the sixth. After McChesney and Jones reached base on errors, senior catcher Shanyn McIntyre brought them both home with a double to left center. A single from senior outfielder Tiyona Marshall moved McIntyre up to third base, while a single from sophomore second baseman Eryn McCarver scored her and gave Miami a 4-0 lead.
Meanwhile, junior pitcher Amber Logemann kept the Loyola hitters at bay through the first four innings. After the Ramblers led off the bottom of the fifth with a pair of hits, Mattera came in and proceeded to get the next three outs in a row to preserve the shutout.
Loyola got on the board with two runs in the bottom of the sixth. With runners on first and second and only one out, senior pitcher Remy Edwards came into the game in relief and got the ‘Hawks out of the threat. The Ramblers recorded a solo home run in the bottom of the seventh to make it 4-3, but Edwards recorded a pair of strikeouts to finish off her first career save.
McCarver finished the game 3-for-4 with one RBI. Marshall and Mattera each had two hits for the RedHawks. Logemann got the victory for Miami, allowing no runs on five hits while striking out three in four innings pitched.
The RedHawks return to action next Saturday when they travel to Austin Peay for a doubleheader beginning at 1 p.m. (EST).
Northern Illinois
Results
SAN MARCOS, Texas – Thanks to a sensational showing from the top of the lineup, the Northern Illinois University softball team closed out the Hampton Inn & Suites Invitational with an 8-3 victory over Texas State.
NIU’s first three batters – Bryanna Phelan (Coal City, Ill./Coal City), Bekah Harnish (Maple Park, Ill./Burlington Central) and Kayti Grable (Santee, Calif./Santana) – powered the offense with eight hits and five RBIs on the day, while the entire lineup combined for five extra-base hits.
“To be honest, we’ve gotten a spark in the lineup, one through nine, all weekend,” said NIU Head Coach Christina Sutcliffe. “We knew coming in that our offense could put up some serious runs. I’m not sure if we knew the power they were going to be capable of doing, but we want to keep rolling.”
Phelan got the Huskies off to a hot start with a leadoff triple in the top of the first. Two batters later, Grable knocked a single up the middle to drive Phelan home and give the Huskies a quick 1-0 lead.
In the second, Phelan came through again with a big hit. Caitlyn Warren (Naperville, Ill./Wisconsin) reached on a leadoff single and advanced to second on a sac bunt by Rebecca Rupard (Normal, Ill./Normal West). Two batters later, Phelan came through with a two-out single to drive home Warren and put NIU up, 2-0.
Yet, Texas State quickly turned the two-run deficit into a one-run advantage in the bottom of the second. After two Bobcats got on base with an error and a single, Sara Rupp drove a home run to right center to put the hosts ahead, 3-2.
The Huskies quickly turned things back in their favor in the top of the fourth with three runs on three hits. With two outs, Phelan again posted a big hit, this time with a two-out double. Harnish dropped a hit into right field to bring home the senior from second for the tying run. With a runner on, Grable pushed NIU ahead for good, clocking a two-run home run for a 5-3 NIU lead.
Meanwhile, Jessica Sturm (Wichita, Kan./Goddard) made Grable’s go-ahead homer count, allowing only three walks in the fourth and fifth innings and finishing the day surrendering just six hits and posting two strikeouts in 5.2 innings. Sturm was spelled in the sixth by Keegan Hayes (Naperville, Ill./Naperville Central), who got out of a two-on, two-out situation in the sixth before closing down the Bobcats in the seventh.
“I think Jess did a nice job of keeping them off balance inside and outside,” Sutcliffe said. “When Keegan came in to close, she did a good job with her offspeed, which was a totally different look. With the way our defense played, we got off the field when we needed to.”
Though Sturm and Hayes kept Texas State’s offense on its heels, the NIU offense kept producing in the top of the seventh. With two on and two out, Alaynie Woollard (New Castle, Ind./New Castle) clobbered a home run to bring in three insurance runs and close out the scoring. The roundtripper was Woollard’s third of the weekend and ninth for the team in five games.
The Huskies get a weekend off before they return to the field Feb. 20-22 to face UConn, Troy and Evansville at the Trojan Invitational.
Ohio
Results
KENNESAW, Ga. - A three hit day at the plate for Amanda Dalton would help lead the Ohio softball team to a decisive 10-2 five-inning victory against Northern Kentucky on Sunday morning during the final day of the KSU Classic, hosted by Kennesaw State.
It didn't take long for the Bobcats' (2-2) offense to take control of the game. The scoring started in the top of the first inning when Kaylin Clarke (North Royalton, Ohio) walked with the bases loaded, scoring Dalton (Salem, Va.) from third for the game's first run. Two batters later, Casie Hutchinson (Lebanon, Ohio) hit a two-run single up the middle, scoring Mikayla Cooper (Delaware, Ohio) and Madison Claytor (Alpharetta, Ga.), putting Ohio up 3-0.
Northern Kentucky (0-3) picked up a run in the bottom of the frame when KC Straley scored on an RBI single by Katelyn Roy, making the score 3-1.
Ohio responded immediately in the top of the second inning. Leadoff batter Dakota Pyles (Galloway, Ohio) singled to center and would score two batters later on an RBI bunt single by Dalton. In the next at bat, Cooper would lineout to leftfield, scoring Slone Walker (Cypress, Texas) from third base. The scoring in the inning would be capped off by an RBI double to left center by Claytor, scoring Dalton and putting the Bobcats up 6-1.
In the top of the third inning, the offense picked up right where it left off the prior frame, scoring four runs and giving the Bobcats a 10-1 lead. The scoring would start on an RBI single to rightfield by Cooper that scored Walker from second. The next batter, Claytor, would reach base on a throwing error at third base, scoring Dalton and Cooper. Claytor would later score the final run of the frame on a single up the middle by Clarke.
Northern Kentucky would get a run in the bottom of the fifth and final frame of the day when Paige McQueen hit a homerun to leftfield. That homerun would be the final run scored in the game, and the Bobcats would walk away with the 10-2 victory.
Offensively, the Bobcats would collect 13 hits. Dalton led the way with three hits and three runs scored. Walker, Clarke and Hutchinson would each add two hits and Cooper, Claytor, Pyles and Raven King (Alpine, Utah) all had a hit apiece.
In the circle, Clarke would pitch all five innings, allowing two runs on five hits and striking out one.
The Bobcats return to action next weekend when they head to Charlotte, N.C., Feb. 14 and 15 to participate in the 49er Classic, hosted by UNC Charlotte. While there, Ohio will face Army, Quinnipiac and Charlotte.
Toledo
Results
Recap coming soon ...
Western Michigan
Results
TEMPE, Ariz.- Western Michigan knotted the score at three with two runs in the top of the seventh but Ole Miss came up with the winning run in the bottom half of the inning, edging WMU 4-3 Sunday in Arizona. The game concluded the Broncos’ play at the Kajikawa Classic.
Junior Melissa Palmer and senior Jenny Rohn accounted for all five of Western Michigan’s hits. Palmer batted 3-for-4 with an RBI double while Rohn went 2-for-4 and had a pair of RBI doubles.
Ole Miss got on the board in the second inning, using a pair of solo shots to straight-away center from Madi Osias and Natalie Martinez to take a 2-0 lead.
WMU cut the deficit in half in the fifth when Rohn doubled to right center to drive in Sabrina Gamboa who had reached base on a leadoff walk.
The Rebels shot back with a run in the bottom of the sixth to pull ahead, 3-1. Elantra Cox led off with a single for Ole Miss, stole second and tagged up on a fly ball to advance to third. She scored on a single by Miranda Strother.
The Broncos wouldn’t go down without a fight, generating two runs to tie the game in the top of the seventh. Junior Caity Pixley stepped in to pinch hit and drew a leadoff walk. With one out, Rohn hit her second double of the day, sending a ball to right center that scored Pixley. Palmer followed in the next at bat with a double down the left field line, allowing Rohn to come across. The Rebels made a pitching change and put an end to the Bronco rally with a foul out and a strikeout.
Ole Miss put its leadoff runner on in the seventh when Courtney Syrett singled to right and a Bronco fielding error in the outfield allowed her to move all the way over to third. Sophomore Bronco pitcher Erin Binkowksi got the next batter to line out to left, holding pinch runner Melina Preciado at third. Binkowksi issued a walk and then the Broncos recorded a second out when third baseman Kelsea Cichocki gunned Preciado down at home on a fielder’s choice. With two outs and the bases loaded, Strother delivered the game-winning hit for Ole Miss with a single back up the middle,
Binkowski struck out four in a complete game effort and dropped to 1-2 with the loss. Ole Miss had 10 hits in the game.
Western Michigan (1-5) takes almost a two-week break before heading to the Eastern Kentucky Invitational, Feb. 21-22. The Broncos plays EKU twice over the weekend and also have contest against Louisville and Kent State.
