BOWLING GREEN, Ky. — On a scheduled bullpen day for the WKU Baseball pitching staff, a group of eight relievers combined for eight scoreless frames to lead the Hilltoppers to a 4-1 victory over Belmont on Tuesday afternoon. In the lineup, Chase Larsen knocked in the first two runs of the game and leadoff hitter Dillon Nelson reached in all four plate appearances and scored a run.
After the Bruins got one run on a two-out rally in the top of the first, WKU (2-2) knotted it up in the bottom half. After Nelson was hit by pitch and advanced to second on a passed ball, he was moved over to third on a fly out. Larsen ripped a 1-1 pitch up the middle for a single that allowed Nelson to trot home.
It was all zeroes for the visitors the rest of the way, as Paul Kirkpatrick, Michael Darrell-Hicks, Troy Newell, Maddex Richardson, Michael Martin, Jacob Green, Austin Tibbs and Ben Morrison kept the Bruins off the board. Each WKU pitcher got 2-to-4 out, while none faced more than five batters in his appearance.
Darrell-Hicks was credited with the win, shutting down Belmont (2-2) in the top of the third inning before the Hilltoppers broke the 1-1 tie. Colin Butkiewicz started the frame by working an eight-pitch walk, which Nelson followed with a single. After a sacrifice bunt by Colie Currie, Larsen grounded out to score Butkiewicz from third with the Bruins' infield playing back.
As the bullpen kept rolling, the Hilltoppers added their final two runs in the sixth, when pinch-hitter Ray Zuberer III ripped a single to right field to score Larsen - who was hit by pitch - and move Jacob Rhinesmith - who had just singled - to third base. Still with no outs, Tyler Robertson lifted a sacrifice fly to left field to bring home Rhinesmith and give WKU a three-run lead, which never wavered.
Topper Notes
- The Hilltoppers have won four consecutive Home Openers at Nick Denes Field (W, 6-5 vs. Valparaiso in 2017; W, 5-3 vs. Youngstown State in 2016; W, 5-3 vs. Evansville in 2015).
- WKU has defeated Belmont five straight times in Bowling Green and will have a chance to even up the all-time series at 24-24 when the Hilltoppers make a return trip to E.S. Rose Park in 14 days (March 6) for the second leg of the home-and-home.
- Rhinesmith had the second multi-hit game this season and has reached base at least once in all four games of his WKU career.
- Larsen posted the team's first multi-RBI performance of the year, while Nelson's four times on base was a new team-season-high.
- WKU's leadoff hitter in all four games so far, Nelson has reached base in 8-of-18 (.444) plate appearances, including four times hit by pitch.
- The graduate transfer righty Martin has pitched in 3-of-4 games for the Hilltoppers, and has put up a scoreless outing all three appearances.
Play of the Day
With the bases loaded and two out in the top of the fourth, freshman righty Richardson was called upon by Pawlowski to strand the inherited runners and preserve a 2-1 WKU lead. Richardson did just that, as he struck out Kyle Conger swinging on four pitches and then went on to pitch a scoreless fifth frame as well.
Topper Quotes
- "I looked up in the second or third inning and saw people down the left field line and right field line. That's exciting to see Hilltopper fans come out to support these guys and we found a way to win today. Great effort by our team and we're certainly happy that the folks came out today." — Head coach John Pawlowski
- "The plan was going in to use multiple pitchers, we wanted to get those guys in to get some work. They did an outstanding job. I'm proud of the way they pitched and certainly the way we played today. I thought each guy went out there and did a nice job, they really attacked the strike zone and I'm proud of what they did." – Head coach John Pawlowski
- "It was a good team victory, everyone did their part. The pitchers did their jobs and hitters stepped up when we needed to. It was overall a good team win to start off the year on the right foot. We all came out hoping to turn something around from last year and i think this is a good step in the right direction." — Infielder Chase Larsen
Up Next
The Hilltoppers host Northern Illinois for a Friday-to-Sunday, Feb. 23-25 set with a scheduled doubleheader Saturday. It will be the program's first four-game series since 2009.
