FIU 6, WKU 4 (PDF)
MIAMI, Fla. -- Missed opportunities and miscues plagued WKU against FIU on Saturday night at FIU Baseball Stadium as the Hilltoppers left 11 runners on base and committed two errors during the Panthers' 6-4, series-knotting triumph.
WKU (19-17, 8-9 C-USA) left the bases loaded two times in the first three innings, had two base-running errors with runners in scoring position to wipe away threats and misplayed a handful of balls in the field that helped result in four of the Panthers' six runs.
FIU (17-21, 8-9 C-USA) and WKU entered the seventh inning in a 4-4 tie, but the Panthers scored their go-ahead runs on a tough-luck infield single from Edwin Rios and a wild pitch from Hilltopper reliever Jackson Sowell. Junior third baseman Danny Hudzina was the lone Hilltopper to reach base in the final two innings as FIU closer Danny Dopico shut things down for his seventh save.
The Hilltoppers fell despite scoring in four-straight innings to start the game and rapping out five extra-base hits. WKU drew seven walks and was hit by three pitches to go along with its eight hits, but its 11 stranded runners were the difference in the game.
WKU junior outfielder Anderson Miller continued his hot-hitting week with a leadoff double to start the game and came around to score when sophomore catcher Hunter Wood was plunked with the bases loaded. Despite loading the bases twice in the inning the Tops could only push one run across as sophomore outfielder Paul Murray struck out with the bases juiced to keep the WKU lead at 1-0.
FIU answered WKU's early strike quickly as outfielder Zack Soria smacked a leadoff homer to tie things at 1-1 in the bottom of the first inning. Speedy shortstop Julius Gaines singled behind Soria and came around to score on a high chopper from third baseman Josh Anderson to put FIU in front, 2-1.
Freshman outfielder Grant Malott was plunked to start WKU's second inning, stole second base and tied the game at 2-2 by racing home on Hudzina's RBI single to left field. WKU squandered another good scoring chance in the second with two runners on base and one out, but redshirt sophomore second baseman Leiff Clarkson was called out for leaving second base early on a deep fly out. A series of Hilltopper miscues led to a pair of Panther runs in their half of the second as two errors, a passed ball and singles by Soria and Gaines put FIU back ahead, 4-2.
Senior shortstop Cody Wofford drew his second walk of the game to give WKU a scoring chance in the third inning and he scooted home all the way from first base when Wood ripped an opposite-field double into the left center gap for his second RBI of the day. Murray and redshirt sophomore second baseman Leiff Clarkson were walked in back-to-back at bats to load the bases for Miller later in the frame, but he left the bases full with FIU leading 4-3.
WKU called on senior right-hander Brennan Pearson out of the bullpen in the third inning after starter Austin King was roughed up for four runs in his first two innings. Pearson answered the bell with four scoreless innings where he allowed just one hit until the top of FIU's potent order touched him for three singles in the seventh inning. Gaines and outfielder Brian Portelli found gaps in the WKU defense with weak singles to put a pair of Panthers on and Rios punched a roller that took an unlucky hop in between Pearson and Wofford to plate Gaines. The Tops turned to Sowell with runners on the corners and FIU leading 5-4, but Wood couldn't handle a dirt ball from Sowell at the plate and the Panthers pushed their advantage to 6-4 on the wild pitch.
The Hilltoppers had their chance to break the 4-4 tie in the seventh inning when Murray ripped a one-out double to the centerfield wall, but he was gunned down at third base trying to stretch his extra-base knock into a triple. His double and Hudzina's two-out single in the eighth represented WKU's last two runners to reach base.
Pearson was the hard-luck loser after surrendering two runs on four hits in 4.1 innings, the longest relief outing by a WKU pitcher this year. He struck out three and kept FIU off the board for four-straight innings before its seventh-inning push. Sowell retired all five batters he faced in his second outing since returning from Tommy John surgery in 2014.
Williams Durruthy picked up the win for FIU out of the bullpen while Dopico tossed the final two innings in his saving effort.
Hudzina, a Florida native, led WKU's eight-hit day with three hits, a double and an RBI. Wood tallied a pair of RBI and a double while Miller, Church and Murray all doubled as well.
WKU and FIU will square off in a rubber match Sunday at 12 p.m. (CT) to decide the Conference USA series. Both teams enter deadlocked at 8-9 in the league standings. The Hilltoppers will staff the game pitching wise behind rookie southpaw Logan Weins (2-0, 4.29 ERA). The Panthers will throw right-hander Chris Mourelle (5-3, 3.49 ERA).
Sunday's game will have an online audio stream available to subscribers of WKUSports.tv. The broadcast can also be heard on local stations ESPN 102.7 FM and 1450 AM.
