Hilltoppers Fall Twice in Saturday Doubleheader

Saturday, March 25

Bowling Green, KY

1:00 PM CT

Western Kentucky University

15-8, 1-3

Louisiana Tech

11-11, 2-2

Louisiana Tech

WKU

Photo by: Steve Roberts/WKU Athletics

3/25/2023 7:27:00 PM | Baseball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2 Game One Box Game Two Box

BOWLING GREEN, Ky. – WKU Baseball dropped back-to-back games in its Conference USA home opening doubleheader against Louisiana Tech at Nick Denes Field.

With the two losses, the Tops drop to 15-9 (1-4 in C-USA) on the season while the Bulldogs improve to 12-11 (3-2 in C-USA).

"I came in this season to help to get us going in the right direction, so we are going in the right direction, but right now there is a few mountains that we have to get over," said head coach Marc Rardin. "It is just the "winning way". We are still working on that. Getting that two-out hit or getting a sacrifice bunt down, or not letting them score after we score. Every time we are scoring, we are letting them back in and scoring again. Yeah, we pitched okay, but we also need that in the game. We are closer to winning games, but we are not winning games. There is that in the culture of all of this."

Game One Recap

LHP Lane Diuguid got the starting nod in game one of the doubleheader, starting his first game since March 4th against Northern Illinois. The junior totaled four strikeouts in 5.0 innings while allowing three runs (zero earned) on three hits and three walks. RHP Mason Burns suffered his first loss of the season in relief Diuguid, entering in the top of the sixth. The junior right-hander surrendered two runs (two earned) on four hits and one walk in 2.1 innings of work. LHP Cal Higgins saw action in relief as well, going the final 1.2 frames, claiming two strikeout victims without allowing neither a run, hit, nor a walk.

At the plate, the WKU offense totaled nine hits, with three Hilltoppers recording multi-hit performances. Ty Batusich led the way in a 3-for-4 effort with a solo shot, an RBI, and a run scored while Lukas Farris launched a two-run homer in a 2-for-4 outing with two RBI and a run scored of his own.

SCORING SUMMARY

The Hilltoppers scratched first in the bottom of the second with a two-run shot from Lukas Farris to take a 2-0 lead.

Louisiana Tech answered in the top of the third with a three-run homer to take the lead 3-2.

A solo home run from Ty Batusich tied the game, 3-3, in the bottom of the sixth.

An inside-the-park home run from the Bulldogs gave them the lead right back in the top of the seventh, 4-3.

Louisiana Tech added another in the eighth with an RBI double to extend its lead. The Tops could not rally in the final two frames, making the final score 5-3, in favor of the Bulldogs.

Game Two Recap

RHP Dawson Hall dropped his first game of the season in his third consecutive Saturday start, moving to 4-1 on the year. The true freshman claimed, a career-high, seven strikeout victims in 6.0 innings while allowing two runs (two earned) on four hits and a walk. Four Hilltoppers saw action out of the bullpen in Dalton Mesaris, Jack Bennett, Evan Jones, and CJ Weins in the final 3.0 frames. The group combined for five strikeouts while surrendering just one run (one earned) on one hit and four walks in relief of Hall.

At the dish, WKU compiled eight hits, with Tristin Garcia producing the lone multi-hit effort. The senior was 2-for-4 with a double while Ty Crittenberger had the only RBI of the day with an RBI single in the bottom of the seventh.

SCORING SUMMARY

The Bulldogs took a 1-0 lead in the top of the second with a sacrifice fly.

They were able to scratch again with a solo shot in the sixth to extend the Louisiana Tech lead to 2-0.

Ty Crittenberger put the Tops on the board in the seventh with an RBI single to cut the Louisiana Tech lead in half, 2-1.

Another run from the Bulldogs crossed in the top of the eighth by way of an RBI double to give them a 3-1 lead.

An error by the Bulldogs' catcher allowed Drew Reckart to score from third and bring the Tops within one once again, but WKU could not bring another run to the plate, losing game two, 3-2.

UP NEXT

The Hilltoppers will conclude their series against Louisiana Tech tomorrow, March 26 starting at 1 p.m. CT at Nick Denes Field.

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.