AKRON, Ohio (Interstat) — Western Michigan capitalized on a chaotic first inning and survived a late push from Akron to secure a 4-3 victory in a Mid-American Conference baseball opener Friday at InfoCision Stadium.

The Broncos (5-7, 1-0 MAC) scored twice in the first without a hit, taking advantage of three hit batters and a pivotal pitching change, and held on as the Zips (6-8, 0-1 MAC) chipped away at the lead.

The game’s decisive, and strangest, sequence came before many of the 159 fans in attendance had settled in. Western Michigan’s Mally T. was hit by Akron starter Jeremiah Newman’s first pitch. After a wild pitch, Howard D. was also hit. Maloney Mi. was then plunked, loading the bases with no outs and ending Newman’s outing after just three batters faced.

Reliever Brady Bowen entered and immediately induced a double-play grounder from Rick L., which scored Mally T. but cleared the bases. Bowen then surrendered an RBI single to Ostrander C., scoring Howard D. for a 2-0 lead. Ostrander C. was later picked off to end the inning.

Bowen settled in brilliantly after the rocky entry, ultimately delivering a quality start. He pitched 6 2/3 innings, allowing one run on four hits with two strikeouts. The lone run he surrendered came on a solo home run by Thielman A. to left-center field in the seventh inning, which gave Western Michigan a 3-1 cushion.

Akron’s offense, stifled early by Western Michigan starter Zach Vriesenga, finally broke through in the fifth. Tucker Biehl doubled and scored on Brody Chrisman’s single to left-center, cutting the deficit to 2-1. Vriesenga was lifted after 4 2/3 strong innings, yielding just one run on two hits while striking out six.

The Zips pulled within a run again in the sixth. Austin Lafferty was hit by a pitch, was advanced by two sacrifice bunts, and scored on Gio Melchione’s RBI double down the right-field line, making it 3-2.

Western Michigan added a critical unearned run in the eighth. Mally T. singled, advanced to third on a throwing error by pitcher Floyd McKenna on a sacrifice bunt attempt, and scored on another double-play grounder by Maloney Mi., extending the lead to 4-2.

Akron answered in the bottom of the seventh. Chrisman singled, stole second, advanced to third on a flyout, and scored on Brennan Morgan’s sacrifice fly off reliever Matt Hoover, closing the gap to 4-3. Hoover was credited with the win despite allowing two earned runs in 1 2/3 innings.

The Zips threatened no further. Doran T. pitched a perfect ninth inning for Western Michigan, sealing the victory.

The most important part of the game was the top of the first inning. The three consecutive hit batters by Newman, followed by the immediate pitching change, created a disruptive and opportunistic environment for Western Michigan. While they only managed one hit in the inning, the two runs scored—one on a double play and one on a subsequent single—provided an early lead that the Broncos never relinquished. That early cushion proved vital as Akron’s comeback efforts fell one run short.

Western Michigan finished with five hits, two by Mally T. Akron managed just four hits, with Chrisman collecting two and driving in one. The teams will continue the three-game series Saturday.