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MALIBU, Calif. – Trailing 4-2 in the fourth inning, Western Michigan second baseman Grady Mee launched a grand slam to put his team on top, and the Broncos never looked back as they claimed an 11-4 series-opening victory at Pepperdine on Friday.
FINAL SCORE: Western Michigan 11, Pepperdine 4
LOCATION: Eddy D. Field Stadium (Malibu, Calif.)
RECORDS: Western Michigan (3-2) | Pepperdine (1-4)
W: Brady Miller (1-0) | L: Nick Bonn (0-1) | Save: Nolan Vlcek (1)
The Broncos trailed 4-1 entering the third inning, when Jackson Kitchen led off the frame with a double. After a couple of bounce outs, Kitchen touched home to trim the margin to 4-2.
In the fourth, CJ Richmond led off with a single, Josh Swinehart walked and Brendan Harrity singled to load the bases with one out for Mee. The sophomore launched a grand slam to right, his first home run and Western Michigan’s first grand slam of the season, to put his team on top, 6-4.
WMU tacked on to its lead with two runs each in the fifth and sixth frames. Richmond blasted his first home run for the Brown and Gold in the fifth frame, a two-run shot, to make it a four-run margin. In the sixth, Kitchen brought in Mee with an RBI triple, then touched home on a Michael Maloney run-scoring knock to make it 10-4.
The final run for Western Michigan came in the ninth, as Swinehart, who tied his career high with three hits on the day, brought Richmond in with a ground ball, Richmond’s career-high fourth run scored of the contest.
The 11 runs were plenty for a WMU pitching staff which kept Pepperdine off of the scoreboard for the final seven innings of the contest. After the early offense from the Waves, Western Michigan starter Brady Miller got into a groove. He allowed a lead-off double in the third, but stranded it after a couple of strikeouts and a ground ball, which began a run of six in a row retired by the redshirt senior. In all, Miller went 5.1 innings and collected five strikeouts to pick up his first win of the season.
Nolan Vlcek took over for Miller with one out in the sixth and took the Broncos the rest of the way. The senior went the final 3.2 innings, a new career high, for Western Michigan and piled up a new career-high seven strikeouts. For his efforts he earned a save, his first of the season.
Western Michigan and Pepperdine continue their four-game weekend series on Saturday with a doubleheader. Game one of the twin bill is slated to begin at 1 pm. Both games will be streamed live on ESPN+.
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