BOWLING GREEN, Ky. — Trailing Eastern Kentucky by five runs going into the bottom of the third, WKU Baseball almost found a way to rally back, but ultimately fell short by a score of 7-5 on Tuesday afternoon. Colin Butkiewicz went 3-for-4 with a double and two RBI, extending his team-best hit streak to seven games.
The Hilltoppers and Colonels were tied 1-1 through three innings at Nick Denes Field before the visitors broke open the game with a five-run frame.
Still knotted up with runners on first and second and two out in the top of the fourth, starter Evan Acosta gave way to relievers Devon Loomis and Troy Newell, but four batters later it was a 6-1 game.
The WKU bats got to work in the bottom half of the inning, as Richard Constantine led off with a double and Dillon Nelson - back in right field after missing the previous four games - singled him home. Butkiewicz brought in Nelson two batters later and the Hilltoppers had cut the lead to three.
After a solo homerun by EKU's Chris Botsoe in the seventh, WKU responded, and it was Butkiewicz starting the rally once again. The backstop doubled to the right-center field wall - his team-leading fifth two-bagger of the season - and scored on a sacrifice fly by Jacob Rhinesmith to make it 7-4.
Chase Larsen got some two-out action going in the eighth, tucking a ground ball double inside the left-field line on a 2-2 count. Butkiewicz followed with an RBI, line-drive single over the second baseman's leaping effort to cut it to a two-run deficit, where it would ultimately end for the Hilltoppers.
Topper Notes
- EKU's win dropped WKU's record in the all-time series to a 74-62-2 advantage.
- It was the first time since a 9-5 Hilltopper loss in Bowling Green on April 9, 2008, that a visiting team won a game, a span of six matchups in-between.
- Colin Butkiewicz collected his third multi-hit game and fourth multi-RBI game. He has a team-high seven hits (7-for-14) with runners in scoring position.
- Ray Zuberer III notched his fourth multi-hit game while Dillon Nelson added his third.
- The final four Hilltopper relievers - Michael Darrell-Hicks, Maddex Richardson, Conner Boyd and Jacob Green - capped the game with 5.1 innings pitched and only one run allowed.
- WKU fell to 1-4 when allowing seven runs in a game and 1-6 when allowing a homerun.
- The Hilltoppers suffered their first loss when facing a lefty starter (EKU's Will Brian), dropping to 3-1 on the season.
Up Next
WKU begins Conference USA play with rival Middle Tennessee coming to Nick Denes Field for a Friday-to-Sunday set. First pitch on March 16 between Hilltoppers and Blue Raiders will be at 5 p.m., with game times Saturday and Sunday both at 1 p.m.
