MAC Baseball Tournament Central
MAC Baseball Tournament Bracket
VIDEO: WMU Head Coach Billy Gernon
VIDEO: WMU Junior Keegan Akin
No. 7 Western Michigan 5, No. 2 Ball State 1
Box Score
AVON, Ohio -- No. 7 seed Western Michigan defeated No. 2 seed Ball State in a 5-1 decision behind a masterful pitching performance by junior lefthander Keegan Akin on Wednesday afternoon at the MAC Baseball Tournament at All Pro Freight Stadium.
Akin opened with seven scoreless innings and only four hits, before facing trouble in the eighth inning. Akin earned the victory as his final line was seven and two-thirds innings pitched, one unearned run, seven strikeouts and one walk. Broncos releiver Jacob Piechota earned the save over the final one and one-third innings pitched.
Western Michigan’s Grant Miller and Connor Smith paced the Broncos with three hits apiece. Western Michigan was able to add two runs in the seventh inning, another in the eighth and two more insurance runs in the ninth inning for the 5-1 final.
With the win Western Michigan will advance to play No. 3 seed Miami on Thursday, May 25 at 4:30 pm ET. Ball State will play No. 6 seed Central Michigan on Thursday, May 25 at 9:30 am ET.
Western Michigan’s Evan Nelson opened the top of the seventh inning with a double to left center. Alex Goodwin was hit by a pitch and both runners advanced on a passed ball by Ball State catcher Jarett Rindfleisch. Cardinals’ pitcher BJ Butler struck out Mitchell Ho and pinch hitter Jesse Forestell. However, Nick Vogelmeier answered on a 2-2 pitch with a single to left to score both Nelson and Goodwin for the 2-0 lead.
The Broncos added another run in the top of the eighth inning to extend the lead to 3-0. Grant Miller singled to left of Cardinals’ third baseman Sean Kennedy’s glove. Hunter Prince sacrificed Miller to second and he scored on Tanner Allison’s single to right field.
Ball State responded in the bottom of the eighth with one run to cut the deficit to 3-1. Maverick Bacon led off the inning as he was hit by a pitch and Matt Eppers walked. Akin got Roman Baisa to ground out into a double play as Bacon moved to third. Western Michigan then went to left hander reliever Jacob Piechota to face Alex Call, as Call lined a drive deep to left field that went off the glove of Broncos’ left fielder Conner Henderson to score Bacon.
In the ninth inning, Ball State pitcher Colin Brockhouse relieved Butler and walked Conner Henderson. The Cardinals then went to right hander Mitch Gibson as Connor Smith doubled down the right field line. Miller dropped a single to center field to score Henderson and Smith to open a 5-1 lead.
Ball State starting pitcher BJ Butler opened with six scoreless innings, however finished with three runs, two earned, on nine hits with eight strikeouts and two walks in eight inning pitched.
