The Falcon baseball team extended its winning streak to five, routing Western Michigan 19-4 Wednesday afternoon at Steller Field.

BG (15-18-1) got off to a hot start in the first, loading the bases with no outs for Derek Spencer.

With the wind blowing out to right, Spencer roped a shot into the trees beyond the right field wall.

“[Spencer] getting the grand slam was really, really big to get us going,” coach Danny Schmitz said.

The Falcons tacked on another run in the first frame and never looked back, scoring at least one run in six separate innings.

Freshman Nick Bruns took the mound for the Falcons and went five solid innings in the win. He allowed all four of the Broncos’ runs but never allowed a big inning. Three of Western Michigan’s runs came off sacrifice flies.

Michael Frank, Patrick Martin, Ross Gerdeman, Patrick O’Brien and Dan Parsons combined for four scoreless relief innings, allowing only two hits and striking out two Broncos.

“I think it was a great team win for us,” Schmitz said. “The rest of the guys that came in relief did a great job and put zeros on the board.”

The Falcons also continued their outstanding play in the field. The team allowed only one error, which did not result in any Western Michigan runs.

In the top of the fifth inning, senior center fielder T.J. Blanton made the play of the game, leaping above the center field fence to rob the Broncos of a home run.

“The catch that Blanton made out in center field was a fantastic catch because if he doesn’t that’s a three-run homer and we go from maybe a seven-run game down to a four-run game, so that was huge,” Schmitz said.

Dennis Vaughn, Jon Berti and Tyler Elkins paced the Falcons with three hits each in the game. Senior Brandon McFarland added a pinch-hit, three-run home run in the seventh inning to put the finishing touch on the Falcon victory. It was McFarland’s first home run of the year.

The Falcons will travel south this weekend to face Ohio for a three-game series. It marks the beginning of Mid-American Conference East Division play for BG and presents an opportunity for the Falcons to keep their momentum going.

“We are starting to play in our division now, so each game is that much more important,” Schmitz said. “Right now, we’re starting to click on all cylinders.”