Western Michigan gave No. 14 Michigan its first home loss of the season on Tuesday.
ANN ARBOR, Mich. –– The Western Michigan softball team handed No. 14 ranked Michigan its first home loss of the season and just its ninth loss overall, taking down the Wolverines 8-2 in Ann Arbor Tuesday. It was the Broncos' second win over a top 25 team this season. WMU defeated then-No. 19 ranked BYU in the 2018 season opener in Arizona at the Kajikawa Classic.
Western Michigan (26-21 overall record) scored first in Tuesday's outing, plating two runs in the top of the second and held the lead the remainder of the game. The Broncos pounded out 13 hits in the contest.
WMU's eight runs and 13 hits were the most allowed by Michigan this season. Entering the game, the Wolverines had outscored opponents 92-5 in home contests and held a 12-0 record at Alumni Field. Overall on the year, Michigan had allowed just two earned runs. Michigan also entered the game leading the nation with a 1.09 staff ERA.
@WMUSoftball takes down #14 Michigan on the road!! @NCAAsoftball
— WMU Broncos (@WMUBroncos) May 2, 2018
U-M's first home loss of 2018, entered the game #1 in nation for ERA, also had outscored opponents 92-5 at home.
WMU's Kurth allows just 1 ER in win, Wilson & Glenfield hit HRshttps://t.co/SYviogIZe3
Michigan's record dropped to 40-9 with the loss.
It was just the 11th victory for Western Michigan against their in-state Big Ten counterpart in 59 all-time meetings, dating back to 1978.
WMU junior pitcher Jordan Kurth improved her season record to 12-5 in the contest, throwing her ninth complete game of the year. Only one of the runs against Kurth was earned and she struck out two. She walked four and held Michigan's potent offense to just five hits.
Sophomore Kaylen Glenfield and redshirt senior Marlee Wilson hit back-to-back home runs for the Broncos in the seventh inning. Glenfield's long ball was a two-run shot to left field, while Wilson went deep for a solo home run to center field. Both players now have six home runs on the season. As a team, Western Michigan has reached 40 home runs for the first time in school history, currently with 41 as a team. The previous team record was 38 home runs, recorded in 2015 and 2017.
COLLEGE SOFTBALL: USA TODAY/NFCA Coaches Top 25 | Statistical leaders
Wilson had three RBIs in the game, also hitting a two-run single in the second inning that gave WMU a 2-0 lead. Michigan scored an unearned run in the bottom of the second. Freshman Samantha Coffel roped an RBI double in the third inning and then scored on an RBI single by Skyler Sobeski to give WMU a 4-1 advantage.
Michigan attempted a rally in the fifth, loading the bases with one out, but settled for just one run on a groundout for the Wolverine's second run of the game.
WMU tagged on an unearned run in the sixth to go up 5-2. Brooke Wyman picked up an RBI on a fielder's choice. The Broncos capped their scoring with the two home runs in the seventh.
Senior Tera Blanco (9-3) took the loss in the circle for Michigan, allowing four runs, three earned, on five hits and a walk through two innings.
Glenfield and Sobeski each batted 3-for-4 in the game for WMU.
Western Michigan heads to Detroit tomorrow for its final non-conference contest of the season, facing the Titans at 4 p.m. The Broncos then host Eastern Michigan for a three-game Mid-American Conference series this weekend, beginning Friday at 3 p.m. and concluding with a doubleheader on Saturday starting at 1 p.m. Saturday will be Senior Day and Alumni Day for the Broncos.
