Hilltoppers Drop C-USA Opener to Middle Tennessee

Friday, March 17

Murfreesboro, TN

6:00 PM CT

Western Kentucky University

14-5, 0

Middle Tennessee

9-8, 0

WKU

Middle Tennessee

Photo by: Jack Todd, WKU Athletics

3/17/2023 11:21:00 PM | Baseball

Box Score Box Score

BOWLING GREEN, Ky. – WKU Baseball fell to Middle Tennessee 12-8 in its Conference USA opener on Friday night in Murfreesboro, Tenn.

With the loss, the Hilltoppers drop to 14-5, while the Blue Raiders improve to 9-8 in 2023.

RHP Cole Heath got the starting nod on Friday night, making his 2023 starting debut. The redshirt sophomore surrendered six runs on eight hits with no walks in 2.1 innings. Dalton Mesaris, Jack Bennett, and Cal Higgins saw action in relief with Mesaris picking up the loss. The three combined for eight strikeouts in 5.2 innings while giving up six runs on six hits and no walks.

At the plate, WKU knocked 11 hits, with four Hilltoppers recording multi-hit performances. AJ Fiechter led the attack in a 3-for-5 effort with three RBI while Aidan Gilroy went 2-for-3 with two RBI and two walks.

SCORING SUMMARY

The Blue Raiders scratched in the first off a pair of RBI singles to take a 3-0.

Three more crossed for Middle Tennessee in the second by way of two more RBI singles to extend the lead to 6-0.

Lukas Farris put the Tops on the board in the third with a solo home run to left to make the score 6-1.

The Hilltoppers edged closer in the fifth with an RBI single from Tristin Garcia and an RBI double from Kirk Liebert putting the score at 6-3.

WKU edged within one after a two-RBI single from Aidan Gilroy in the sixth to cut the lead to 6-5.

AJ Fiechter gave the Tops their first lead of the night in the seventh with a two-RBI single to put them up 7-6.

Middle Tennessee answered with four of its own in the bottom of the frame with a sacrifice fly, a two-RBI triple, and a sacrifice bunt to give them the lead, 10-7.

In the bottom of the eighth, the Blue Raiders used a two-RBI single to extend their lead to 12-7.

In a comeback effort, AJ Fiechter knocked a two-out, RBI single to score another, but that would be all the Hilltoppers could create to make the final tally, 12-8.

UP NEXT

The Hilltoppers will continue its series against Middle Tennessee tomorrow, March 18, starting at 3 p.m. CT in Murfreesboro, Tenn.

How to follow WKU Baseball: For complete information on WKU Hilltopper Baseball, visit WKUSports.com or follow the program via social media @WKU_Baseball on Twitter and @WKUBaseball Instagram.