MOUNT PLEASANT, Mich. (Interstat) — In a wild opener of a Friday doubleheader at Bill Theunissen Stadium, Josh Polubinski launched a go-ahead grand slam in the top of the ninth inning to propel the Western Michigan Broncos to a 9-8 victory over the Central Michigan Chippewas.

The game, the first of two between the in-state rivals, appeared to be slipping away from the Broncos as Central Michigan erupted for five runs in the bottom of the eighth to erase a 9-3 deficit and tie the game. But Western Michigan responded immediately in its final at-bat.

The Broncos loaded the bases with one out in the ninth on two walks and a hit batter, forcing a pitching change. After a hit-by-pitch forced in one run to make it 9-8, Polubinski, who entered the game as a pinch-runner in the sixth inning, connected on a towering shot to left field for a grand slam, his first home run of the season. The four-run blast gave Western Michigan a commanding 13-8 lead.

Central Michigan did not go quietly. In the bottom of the eighth, trailing 9-3, the Chippewas sent 11 men to the plate. Pinch-hitter Verburg doubled and scored on a sacrifice fly. After a single and an error, Zach Knowlton delivered a two-run single to center. Following a pitching change and a hit batter, Bryson Webb ripped a two-run double to left-center, tying the game and capping the furious rally. The Chippewas left the bases loaded to end the inning.

The late fireworks overshadowed a brilliant pitchers’ duel for much of the contest. Central Michigan starter Hayden Bailey was sharp, allowing just one earned run on five hits over seven innings, striking out four. His counterpart, Western Michigan’s Sam Carlisle, was even more dominant early, firing 5 1/3 no-hit innings. Carlisle, the top star for the Broncos, struck out seven but was charged with three runs, largely due to walks and wild pitches, before exiting with a 9-3 lead.

Western Michigan built its initial advantage with small ball. The Broncos scored single runs in the sixth and eighth innings on sacrifice flies by pinch-hitter Avery Thielman. Central Michigan chipped away with two runs in the second on an RBI double by Cole Prout and a run-scoring single by Knowlton, and added another in the fifth on a wild pitch.

The Broncos secured the win in the bottom of the ninth as reliever Turner Doran retired the side in order, sealing the victory.

Western Michigan improved to 14-13 overall. Central Michigan fell to 10-16.

The most important part of the game was unquestionably the top of the ninth inning. After Central Michigan’s dramatic five-run rally in the eighth to tie the game, the momentum had completely shifted to the home team. Western Michigan, facing the prospect of a devastating collapse, immediately reloaded the bases. Polubinski’s grand slam was a stunning counter-punch that reclaimed the lead and ultimately decided the game, showcasing a resilient response from the Broncos under significant pressure.