A pair of strong defensive plays in the outfield kept Central Michigan within an arm’s reach Friday afternoon.
Shortly thereafter, the Chippewas found the timely hitting they needed to outlast rival Western Michigan 6-5 in the opener of a three-game series.
The victory keeps CMU unbeaten at 7-0 in the MAC, while its overall record improves to 18-15. The Broncos dropped to 13-16 and 3-7.
With Central Michigan trailing 5-3 in the top of the sixth inning, WMU threatened to tack on more as it loaded the bases. But the Chippewas were up to the challenge defensively, first on a flyout to right field in front of the Broncos’ bullpen fence that Daniel Robinson managed to snag before firing a dart to home which kept the runner at third base.