The loss dropped the Hilltoppers to 2-7 on the season, while Central Michigan improved to 3-4 by winning the final three games of the four-game weekend series.
After four scoreless innings, Central Michigan got on the board first with a pair of two-out runs in the fifth. T.J. Jones drove home the first run of the afternoon when he plated Derek Schaller with a triple to the gap in right-center. Jeremy Crum followed with a double to give the Chippewas a 2-0 advantage.
CMU added two more in the sixth as Jim Geldhof led off the inning with a single and moved to third when Kurtis Wells reached on an error. That ended the day for Hilltopper starter James Mantzanis, as Greg Durr came out of the bullpen and gave up back-to-back RBI singles to Bryan Mitzel and David Latour to make it a 4-0 game. An Eric Cannon sacrifice bunt put two more Chippewas in scoring position with one out, but Durr retired the next two batters to escape further damage.
Western finally got on the board in the bottom of the seventh against CMU starter Josh Collmenter. Marcus Ross got things started with a one-out double — just the second Hilltopper hit of the afternoon. One out later, Kacy Bruce blooped an RBI single into right, scoring Ross to make it a 4-1 game.
CMU added an insurance run in the ninth as Wells plated Geldhof with an RBI single, and Collmenter retired the Hilltoppers in the ninth to pick up the victory.
Collmenter (1-0) struck out 13 Hilltoppers to win his collegiate debut, while Mantzanis (0-1) suffered the loss allowing three earned runs over five innings of work.
Geldhof led the CMU offense with three hits on the afternoon. Matt Ransdell, Tim Grogan, Ross and Bruce accounted for the four Hilltopper hits.
Western will look to get back on track Tuesday when it travels north to face Louisville at 2 p.m. (CST).
