Hilltoppers Sweep Belmont with Run Rule; Reach Double-Digit Wins

Tuesday, March 7

Bowling Green, KY

3:00 PM CT

Western Kentucky University

10-4

Belmont

5-8

Belmont

WKU

Photo by: Steve Roberts, WKU Athletics

Hilltoppers Sweep Belmont with Run Rule; Reach Double-Digit Wins

3/7/2023 6:11:00 PM | Baseball

Box Score Box Score

BOWLING GREEN, Ky. – WKU Baseball defeated the Belmont Bruins for a second time this season, winning 11-1 when the game was called after the seventh-inning due to a 10-run rule at Nick Denes Field.

The Hilltoppers scored 11 runs in the final three frames, forcing the game to be called after the top half of the seventh. This marks the first Hilltopper 10-run rule since May 1,2021 when WKU beat Marshall 15-5 after seven innings in Huntington, W. Va. With the win, the Hilltoppers move to 10-4 and reach 10 wins through 14 games for just the second time since the 2016 season.

"You can't explain baseball sometimes. You come into it kind of banged up, definitely on the pitching side, so we decided on the run rule to keep the teams safe if it got out of hand," said head coach Marc Rardin. "We were getting some hits, taking our walks, and then getting some more hits. We executed some hit-and-runs, got some bunts down, did a lot of different stuff that way, but it goes back to Eigenhuis on the mound to start it and sets the tone, Tullar comes in and gets us out of an inning, and then Cole Heath coming in after that and give up one hit in three innings of work, so overall a really good day."

RHP Cole Eigenhuis made his WKU starting debut on the bump, recording three strikeouts in 3.1 frames, while giving up one run on two hits and two walks. LHP Cam Tullar entered in the fourth inning in relief claiming two strikeout victims, while allowing just one hit in 0.2 innings. The final three innings belonged to RHP Cole Heath who earned his first collegiate win. The redshirt sophomore earned two strikeouts, while allowing no runs on just one hit. In total, the three only allowed one run on four hits and racked up seven strikeouts in the contest.

Offensively, the Hilltoppers racked up 9 hits, with three Hilltoppers recording multi-hit performances. The C-USA doubles leader, Ty Crittenberger, led the way with a 2-for-3 effort with a double, two RBI, and two runs on the day, while Lukas Farris and AJ Fiechter each produced a 2-for-4 effort, combining for three RBI and two runs. Kirk Liebert also contributed with a two-out, two-RBI double with the bases loaded as well as scoring two runs of his own.

SCORING SUMMARY

Belmont kicked off the scoring with its first and only run of the game in the fourth-inning with an RBI single to take a 1-0 lead.

WKU responded in the bottom half of the frame with a five-spot that started with a sacrifice fly from Camden Ross to score Drew Reckart from third. The next four runs came with two outs, starting with an RBI-single from AJ Fiechter that was followed by back-to back RBI doubles coming from Ty Crittenberger and Aidan Gilroy that scored three runs in total and make the score 5-1 heading into the fifth.

Lukas Farris reached on a fielder's choice that score another run. WKU then executed a double steal that saw Farris take second, while Ty Batusich stole home and put the score at 7-1 after five.

The sixth inning saw four more runs cross for the Hilltoppers that began with a two-RBI double from Kirk Liebert with the bases loaded. Drew Reckart scored on a passed ball by the Belmont catcher and another RBI from Farris gave the Hilltoppers a 10-run lead going into the seventh, 11-1.

The WKU defense retrieved the final three outs, giving the Tops the win with a 10-run rule.