BOWLING GREEN, Ky. — Another 17-hit performance yielded another big day at the plate for WKU Baseball, who defeated Bowling Green by a score of 17-5 on Friday afternoon. Six Hilltoppers posted multi-hit games, six had multi-run days and five had multi-RBI performances in a balanced attack in the series' opening game.
All 17 runs came within the first four innings, as WKU built a 17-1 lead going into the seventh. Starter Ryan Thurston pitched his most effective game of the season, completing six innings on only 75 pitches, 52 of them strikes. The lefty struck out seven while only allowing three hits, one walk and one run to the Falcons.
The Hilltoppers struck for four in the first inning, due in large part to a bases-loaded, three-run double by Tyler Robertson. Then six singles in the second frame pushed five more across for the hosts to make it a 9-0 game.
After BGSU strung together a couple of base hits for a run in the top of the third, the WKU offense responded and kept adding on with three huge hits in the bottom half.
Steven Kraft hit a double to the right-center field gap to score Ray Zuberer III and Jacob Rhinesmith, then Colie Currie followed with a two-run homerun. It was the first long ball of the season for Currie, who hit five in his first year on The Hill in 2017 as a junior.
Just when the Falcons thought the rally might be over, the Hilltoppers loaded the bases for Zuberer and he cleared them with a triple into the right-field corner.
To cap the scoring, Robertson homered into the left-field bullpen on a two-out, 0-2 pitch in the fourth inning to push the lead to its apex, at 16. It was the third homerun in two games for the senior from Russell Springs, who had entered Tuesday's game at Belmont with only one long ball in his first 55 games at WKU.
Topper Notes
- With 15 runs at Belmont and 17 vs. BGSU on Friday, the Hilltoppers scored 15-plus runs in consecutive games for the first time since March 19-20, 2010 at VCU.
- Ryan Thurston has pitched five-plus frames while giving up two or fewer runs in each of his four starts this season. He currently boasts a 1.90 ERA with 27 strikeouts in 23.2 innings, while holding opponents to a .200 batting average.
- Tyler Robertson drove in five runs for the second-consecutive game, matching his career high from April 25, 2017, at Austin Peay. Through 14 games, Robertson already has more extra-base hits (6-to-5) than he did in 43 last season, while his 17 RBI has nearly reached the 19 he had in 2017.
- Jacob Rhinesmith collected three singles and has posted three-hit games in 4-of-5 contests. He also stole a base, improving to a team-best 4-for-4 in attempts.
- Colie Currie posted his seventh multi-hit game of the season in 14 starts, while Steven Kraft matched Rhinesmith and Robertson with three knocks for his first multi-hit game of the year. Colin Butkiewicz extended his team-best hit streak to five games with a single in the fifth inning.
- WKU improved to 4-0 when scoring in the first inning, 5-1 when scoring first, 5-1 when out-hitting the opponent, 3-1 on Friday's and 3-1 while wearing USA-themed caps.
Up Next
With weather reports questionable for Sunday, the Hilltoppers and Falcons will go ahead and play a doubleheader on Saturday, March 10 beginning at 12 noon. WKU sends righties Colby Taylor and Paul Kirkpatrick to the bump, while BGSU is set the throw righties David Steward and Tyler Anderson.
