WKU fell to 19-21 on the year with the loss, while Belmont improved to 21-26.
The Hilltoppers staked themselves to an early lead as Matt Ransdell extended his hitting streak to 19 games with a leadoff single in the bottom of the first. After moving to second on a Corteze Armstrong sacrifice bunt, Ransdell scored the first run of the game when Scotty Colt doubled to the corner in left. Newton then came home to score on a Casey Hamilton single to give WKU an quick 2-0 lead.
Belmont responded, however, as it sent 11 men to the plate in the top of the second inning. Three straight one-out hits produced the Bruins’ first run. After Matt Warnat was hit by a pitch to load the bases, Matt Reynolds lifted a sacrifice fly to tie the game at 2-2. Ben Petsch then gave Belmont the lead with a two-run double, and Wilson Tucker singled home a run to make it 5-2.
Reynolds brought home the sixth Bruin run of the game with a single in the third, but WKU cut its deficit in half in the bottom of the inning without the benefit of a hit. After Jordan Newton drew a two-out walk, he moved into scoring position with a stolen base. After a balk moved Newton to third, Belmont starter Ryan Ashner uncorked a wild pitch to score the third WKU run of the game.
Belmont got that run right back, though, as Derek Wiley homered with two outs in the fourth to stretch the lead to 7-3. It became a five-run lead for the Bruins in the sixth when Kane Simmons singled home Petsch with the third of three straight singles to open up the inning.
The Bruins put the game away with another five spot in the seventh, picking up five straight hits in the inning — all with two outs — to stretch the lead to 13-3. A pair of two-out runs in the eight made it 15-3.
The Hilltoppers opened their half of the eighth with three straight single — the third off the bat of Andrew Nickerson to score WKU’s first run since the third inning. Colt and Newton also came through with RBI singles in the inning as the Toppers cut the Belmont lead to 15-6. Ransdell drove home a run for WKU in the bottom of the ninth to make the final margin eight runs.
Ransdell, Colt and Hamilton, Eric Scriven and Jack Ambrose all had two hits each to lead the Hilltoppers. It was the third straight multi-hit game for Hamilton. Tucker led the Bruins going 5-for-6, while Wiley collected three hits and four RBI.
WKU starter Zack Duncan (0-3) suffered the loss as he allowed five runs in 1.2 innings. Ashner (3-2) earned the win for Belmont.
The Hilltoppers hit the road this weekend as they visit Arkansas State for a three-game Sun Belt Conference series. First pitch of the series opener will be at 6:30 p.m. (CDT) on Friday.
