Acosta Spins Gem in Extra Inning Defeat

Saturday, April 15

Nick Denes Field

12:00 PM

Western Kentucky University

11-25, 4-11

Charlotte

20-16, 9-6

Charlotte

WKU

4/15/2017 12:00:00 AM | Baseball

Box Score

Box Score (PDF) | Season Statistics

BOWLING GREEN, Ky. — Evan Acosta contributed his third seven-inning outing of the season to keep WKU Baseball in the game, but the team ultimately fell to visiting Charlotte in extra innings by a score of 3-1. The lefty starter threw 95 pitches of one-run ball and scattered seven hits, while tying a career-high with five strikeouts Saturday afternoon.

Acosta got 1-2-3 innings in 3-of-7 frames on the day, allowing only one 49er to cross home plate in the fifth inning when Brett Netzer doubled in Zach Jarrett with two outs. Of the outs on balls in play, 9-of-15 were of the ground ball variety, including a 6-4-3 double play induced to end the sixth.

The Hilltoppers took advantage of a pair of Charlotte (20-16, 9-6) errors in the bottom half of the seventh and tied the game at 1-1. Nathan Methvin reached on an error by the second baseman to lead off the frame, then pinch runner Leiff Clarkson scored from second base when Kevin Lambert - who had two base hits - rolled a ground ball through the legs of the third baseman.

The WKU lefty gave way to reliever Conner Boyd after allowing two baserunners to begin the eighth inning. Just as the submariner from Smyrna, Tennessee, had done many times to begin his career on The Hill, he stranded both baserunners on a fly out, pick off and strikeout looking to keep the game knotted.

Boyd retired 9-of-10 to start his outing with three scoreless - including a career-high four punchouts - but allowed a solo homerun to Jackson Mims to begin the 11th. The visitors scored a second run in the 11th on a balk by Jackson Sowell, who entered with no outs and a runner on first. The Hilltoppers (11-24, 4-11) had a chance to end the game in the 10th inning with runners on the corners and one out, but 49ers reliever Matt Brooks got out of it with a partially-tipped 1-4-6-3 double play.

Play of the Day
With the bases loaded for Charlotte in the top of the first inning, Reece Hampton hit a slow ground ball up the middle. WKU second baseman Tyler Robertson slid to his right and shoveled a pass to Kevin Lambert at the bag for the inning-ending fielder's choice put out. It kept the 49ers off the board and allowed starter Evan Acosta to find his groove for the next three frames.

What's Up Next
For the first time since March 7-8, the Hilltoppers have back-to-back midweek games coming up April 18-19. WKU travels to Murray State on Tuesday for the second game of a home-and-home, whicl Austin Peay visits Nick Denes Field on Wednesday for the first edition of the home-and-home for the Governors. The Racers lost in Bowling Green on April 4 by a score of 10-9 when Robertson scored Colie Currie on a walk-off sacrifice fly in the ninth inning.