BOWLING GREEN, Ky. - WKU Baseball split its Conference USA opening double-header against Old Dominion (8-6, 1-1 C-USA) Saturday at Nick Denes Field as the Hilltoppers (8-9, 1-1 C-USA) rebounded from a 3-1 loss in the first contest to defeat the Monarchs 6-3 in the nightcap.
Old Dominion right-handed pitcher Greg Tomchick took a perfect game into the seventh inning of the opener before WKU junior outfielder Anderson Miller smacked a solo home run to break up his perfection. Miller's hit was all WKU could muster against Tomchick and reliever Thomas Busbice as the Tops fell, 3-1.
The Hilltopper bats woke up in a big way during the second game as they bounced back from a one-hit effort to tally 15 hits in the nightcap. Miller along with seniors Cody Wofford and Philip Diedrick all racked up three hits to back up a quality start from junior right-handed pitcher Josh Bartley. Old Dominion made things interesting with a three-run seventh inning but WKU's bullpen combination of Tate Glasscock and Ben Morrison tossed two-innings of hitless relief to preserve the Hilltoppers' 6-3 win.
Complete recaps of both games can be found below.
WKU and Old Dominion will play for the series win tomorrow at noon. It will be Sunday Fun Day at Nick Denes Field as all children ages 12 and under will receive free admission. All military personnel will also be granted free admission as a part of Military Appreciation Weekend.
Live video and audio for the rubber match will be available on WKUSports.tv and the C-USA Digital Network. Local airwaves will carry the radio broadcast on ESPN 1450 AM and 102.7 FM.
How to follow the Hilltoppers: For more information on WKU Baseball, follow the program via Twitter and Instagram at @WKUBaseball.
Old Dominion 3, WKU 1 - Game 1 (PDF)
Greg Tomchick retired 19-straight Hilltoppers to open the series and was perfect through six complete innings before WKU's Anderson Miller had his say in the seventh inning. Miller broke up Tomchick's perfection by jacking his 1-1 offering over the right field fence for WKU's lone hit and score of the day.
Tomchick struck out nine batters, was flawless through 6.1 innings and finished off his second win of the season with an inning-ending strikeout in the seventh after issuing a two-out walk to WKU outfielder Philip Diedrick. Thomas Busbice shut the door on the Hilltoppers from there as he tossed two innings of hitless relief to pick up the save.
Miller, Diedrick and freshman outfielder Kaleb Duckworth were the only three players that reached base for WKU in the contest.
WKU junior southpaw John Harman was touched for nine hits over six innings but he limited the damage to three runs to keep the Hilltoppers within striking distance. Miller's homer cut the ODU lead to 3-1 and senior reliever Brennan Pearson did his job out of the bullpen to give WKU a chance in the end. Pearson struck out two and allowed a pair of hits over three innings of scoreless relief behind Harman.
Harman was tagged with the first loss of his career and Tomchick improved to 2-1 as the Monarchs' ace.
The Hilltoppers dropped their first-ever Conference USA game but bounced back with tremendous energy in game two of the double-header.
WKU 6, Old Dominion 3 - Game 2 (PDF)
WKU scored in four-straight innings to begin the nightcap and Josh Bartley didn't give up a run until the seventh inning as the Hilltoppers controlled the Monarchs from the get-go in a 6-3 triumph.
Miller and Wofford started the game with back-to-back singles in the first inning and senior first baseman Ryan Church began the scoring with a sacrifice fly to right field to put WKU in front, 1-0. Redshirt sophomore Leiff Clarkson poked a single into right field in the second inning and Miller executed a hit-and-run to put WKU runners on the corners with two outs in the frame. That set the stage for Wofford, who cracked a triple off the wall in right centerfield to score both Clarkson and Miller.
WKU pushed its 3-0 lead to 4-0 in the third inning when outfielder Paul Murray ripped a two-out single into right field to score Duckworth. The Tops racked up eight of their 15 hits with runners on base and accounted for half of their runs in two-out hitting situations.
Miller and junior third baseman Danny Hudzina put WKU in complete control in the fourth inning with RBI of their own. Miller led off the inning with a solo homer, his second of the double-header, over the right centerfield wall. Wofford and Church snuck singles through the left side in back-to-back at bats after Miller's homer to keep the pressure on ODU's pitching staff. Hudzina roped a bases-loaded single into right field to plate Wofford and extend the Hilltopper advantage to 6-0.
Bartley struck out four batters and continually weaved his way around tight situations over six scoreless innings versus the Monarchs. Old Dominion was finally able to get to Bartley in the seventh inning as outfielder Connor Myers lined a two-run double into left field before third baseman Nick Lustrino plated Myers with another RBI knock to left.
ODU wouldn't get closer than 6-3 as Tate Glasscock and Ben Morrison were dominant out of the Hilltopper bullpen. Glasscock struck out three of the four Monarchs he faced in the eighth inning while Morrison set them down in order during the ninth for his fourth save of the year. Bartley improved to 3-1 on the year after his quality start that featured four punchouts, seven scattered hits and three runs allowed. ODU starter Joey Benitez was credited with the loss after allowing four runs on seven hits in 2.1 innings of work.
Miller finished the game 3-for-5 at the plate with three runs scored and a home run. He teamed with Wofford and Miller to go a combined 9-for-14 at the plate as all three finished with three hits. Wofford's two-run triple gave him multi-RBI performance No. 3 on the year while Hudzina and Clarkson also contributed a pair of hits.
The WKU victory was its first Conference USA win in program history as it begins its first season in the league.
