BOWLING GREEN, Ky. — WKU Baseball was unable to complete a four-game sweep of visiting Northern Illinois, as the Huskies took the final game of the series by a score of 5-0 on Sunday afternoon. Leadoff hitter Dillon Nelson reached base in all four plate appearances, going 3-for-3 with three singles and a walk, while adding his first stolen base of the season.
Lefty Troy Newell got the start for the Hilltoppers, going 3.2 innings and only giving up one earned run. The St. Peters, Mo., native worked around four hits and three walks and struck out two on the day. He was lifted for righty reliever Malcolm Grady in the fourth inning with runners on first and second, and Grady was able to strand both Huskies on a ground out.
The pitching staff was able to keep it a 1-0 deficit through five, but the WKU bats were not able to make up a deficit as they already have on three occasions this season. Other than Nelson, Sam McElreath was the only Hilltopper to reach base multiple times, as the third baseman went 1-for-2 with a pair of hit by pitches for the second consecutive game.
In the meantime, NIU added two runs in the sixth and one apiece in the sixth and seventh to push the lead to 5-0. Jacob Green got the final five outs for WKU, allowing only one hit in his third straight scoreless appearance.
WKU looked poised to light up the scoreboard in the bottom of the eighth. But with Nelson on first and Colie Currie on first with two out, Huskies' left fielder Josh Mutter made a diving catch in the gap on the warning track to rob Jacob Rhinesmith of an extra-base hit and a pair of RBI.
Up Next
WKU travels to Lexington on Tuesday evening for a midweek matchup at No. 8 Kentucky. First pitch between the Hilltoppers and Wildcats is set for 3 p.m. CT and will be available via stream on SEC Network +.
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