Box Score (PDF) | Season Statistics
BOWLING GREEN, Ky. —Trailing by eight runs in the seventh inning, WKU Baseball mounted a rally - capped by a Wyatt Featherston two-run homerun - but ultimately came up short to Jacksonville State by a score of 9-5 on Sunday afternoon.
As a part of the four-run bottom of the seventh for the Hilltoppers, Featherston pinch hit for Bryson Smith and took the first pitch over the left field wall, scoring Paul Murray from first base. Earlier, with one out, Thomas Peter started the string for WKU with an 0-2 single to left field. Then, coming up as pinch hitters, Nathan Methvin doubled in Peter with a line drive down the left-field line and Murray brought in Methvin with a single to center.
The Hilltoppers threatened again in the eighth inning, with back-to-back, two-out hits from Steven Kraft and Peter putting runners on second and third. But designated hitter-turned-relief pitcher Trent Simpson came in with a strikeout, then pitched the ninth to complete the save.
With WKU trailing 1-0 in the second inning, Steven Kraft doubled down the right-field line, then scored on a pair of wild pitches to tie the game. However, the Gamecocks responded by sending 11 hitters to the plate in the top of the third, putting seven across to jump out to an 8-1 lead.
"Our guys came out today with the right mindset and mentality to try and win this series after a great win yesterday, but we weren't able to do that," head coach John Pawlowski said. "You take away that third inning and it's a whole different game. Our guys gave it a good fight, but unfortunately we got ourselves too far behind."
Topper Notes
- WKU's quintet of relievers pitched seven innings and allowed only one run after the third inning. Jeff Ciocco, coming off his first career appearance in a start Feb. 22 at Belmont, retired JSU 1-2-3 in the eighth inning with his first strikeout on The Hill. Jackson Sowell, who had not pitched since a save Feb. 18 vs. Valparaiso, also retired the Gamecocks in order in the ninth inning.
- Wyatt Featherston's homerun was the Hilltoppers' first of the pinch-hit variety this season. So far in his brief WKU career, the freshman has seen three plate appearances and reached base all three times; via hit by pitch at Belmont on Feb. 22, with a single vs. JSU on Saturday afternoon and with his long ball Sunday.
- With Hunter Wood and Ray Zuberer III failing to reach base for the first time all year, freshman Kevin Lambert, who walked Sunday, remains the lone Hilltopper to get on base (via hit, walk or hit by pitch) in all seven games thus far. Thomas Peter and Steven Kraft had multi-hit games for WKU, with Peter doing so in all three games of the weekend series.
Reliever Devon Loomis faced a bit of trouble in the sixth inning, as the Gamecocks loaded the bases against the righty with two outs. On a 3-2 pitch against JSU catcher Hayden White, Loomis climbed the ladder with a high fastball and got a swing and miss to keep the WKU deficit at 8-1.
What's Up Next
The Hilltoppers have their usual Monday off, host Lipscomb on Feb. 28, then travel to Lexington to face Kentucky the next day. The games serve as the first of home-and-home midweek games against the Bisons (5-2) and Wildcats (2-5). Both first pitches will be at 3 p.m. CT.
