YPSILANTI, Mich. (Interstat) — Tristan Crane’s three-run homer in the sixth inning erased a two-run deficit and propelled the Eastern Michigan Eagles to a 4-3 victory over the Western Michigan Broncos in a Mid-American Conference baseball game Friday at Oestrike Stadium.

The comeback, which defied pregame projections, handed the Eagles just their 11th win of the season against 24 losses, while the Broncos fell to 17-15.

The game’s pivotal sequence arrived in the bottom of the sixth. Western Michigan starter Zach Vriesenga, who had held Eastern Michigan hitless through five innings despite command issues, began to falter. After a strikeout, he issued a walk to Logan Borchardt. Nicholas Weaver then singled for his second hit of the game, ending the no-hit bid and putting two runners on.

Vriesenga induced a lineout for the second out, bringing Crane to the plate. The Eastern Michigan shortstop worked the count before driving a pitch over the left-field fence for a three-run home run, turning a 3-1 deficit into a 4-3 lead. The blast scored Weaver and Borchardt ahead of him.

Until that moment, Western Michigan had controlled the contest. The Broncos broke a scoreless tie in the fifth when Cooper Hums launched a two-run homer to right field, scoring Tanner Mally, who had been hit by a pitch and stolen second. That gave Western Michigan a 3-1 lead, building on a first-inning run scored without a hit.

Eastern Michigan’s first run came in the fourth on an RBI double by Weaver that scored Matt Stecko, who had led off the inning with a double.

The Broncos threatened in the eighth, pulling within a run on an RBI groundout by Mike Maloney that scored Dylan Howard, who had tripled. Western Michigan put the potential tying run in scoring position again in the seventh and the potential go-ahead run at the plate in the ninth but could not capitalize.

The victory was anchored by a strong start from Eastern Michigan pitcher John Carmichael, who earned the win. Carmichael allowed two earned runs on four hits over six innings, striking out seven. He worked out of several jams, stranding multiple Broncos runners to keep the game within reach for Crane’s decisive swing.

Western Michigan’s Vriesenga took the loss, charged with four earned runs on four hits over six innings. He walked four and struck out three. His bullpen, notably Evan Shapiro with two perfect innings of relief, kept the Broncos close.

Fischer Hendershot recorded the final three outs for Eastern Michigan to earn the save, striking out two in a perfect ninth inning.

The teams will continue their three-game conference series Saturday afternoon at Oestrike Stadium.