BOWLING GREEN, Ky. – WKU Baseball swept today's doubleheader against Bradley to win its opening series of 2024 after dropping the opening game of the series last Friday.
After surrendering double-digit hits last Friday, WKU (2-1) combined to allow just eight through the final two games of the series to beat Bradley (1-2) with a 5-0 shutout in game one and a 5-3 victory in the series finale on Sunday afternoon.
"I thought the other day was fine. That's just baseball, sometimes. We didn't get the hits when we needed to get them," said head coach Marc Rardin. "With pitching, the case is going to be that a lot of times, our pitching is going to match the other team's pitching. Today in the doubleheader, I thought we matched and beat them on the mound. The other thing that goes with that is being the home team … You always have those last three outs where you're on offense. I kept reminding our dugout when we were kind of up and then down with emotion and the lead. I just kept reminding them to just keep playing we're the home team. That makes all the difference in the world."
Game One
Senior Jacob Bimbi was the starter in the first game of the doubleheader, earning the winning decision in his Hilltopper debut on the mound. The southpaw was lights out, striking out seven Braves in 4.0 innings of work without allowing a run on one hit and one walk. Bimbi was relieved by sophomore Jack Bennett to start the fifth inning. The right-hander made quick work of the final 3.0 frames, fanning two batters on his way to his first save of the 2024 campaign.
Offensive was hard to come by in game one with only a total of eight hits, combined. Three of the Tops six hits yielded extra bases with Dylan O'Connell, Ethan Lizama, and Joey Baran finding the gaps in the outfield. Lizama was the only Hilltopper with multiple RBI in game one, knocking a two-RBI double down the line to extend the WKU lead to 3-0. The Hilltoppers added a few insurance runs in the fifth with a sacrifice fly from Brady Browning and a fielding error from the Bradley shortstop to make the final score 5-0.
Game Two
Sophomore Dawson Hall earned the series finale start on the rubber for WKU - his season debut. The right-hander picked up right where he left off in 2023, recording four strikeouts in 5.0 innings without allowing a run on three hits and one walk. After a superb start from Hall through five innings, the Tops turned to the bullpen for the rest of the way. Left-handers Cal Higgins and Lucas Litteral both entered in the sixth inning, combining to allow one run on one hit and one walk in 1.1 innings. Senior Mason Burns entered midway through the seventh and was able to get the Tops out of a jam with Bradley runners in scoring position. Although, the eighth inning was a different story with the Braves tallying two runs off Burns on two hits and two walks, tying it up and forcing WKU to turn to the bullpen again. Graduate student Coby Moe took over in the eighth and took care of business on the mound, striking out two in 1.1 frames without allowing a single run, hit, or walk on his way to his first win of the season.
The first three innings didn't see a single run cross the plate in game two. WKU got on the board first, scoring on of a fielding error by the Braves. After Bradley tied things up in the sixth, junior Blake Cavill launched a two-RBI double to right center, giving the Tops the lead once again, 3-1. The Braves evened the score again in the eighth, but a perfectly placed bunt by junior Eli Burwash scored the leading run to make the score 4-3.
"The first pitch the infield was in, so you kind of want to drive something to the outfield, but I took that and looked down at my band," said Bowling Green native Burwash. "I had to bunt, I had to get that down. You have to give that at-bat up for the team right there and just do anything you can to win."
WKU was able to add an insurance run later that inning with a "steal-and-stop" play by senior Jaylin Rae to score junior Zayd Brannigan, ultimately leading to the final score of 5-3.
UP NEXT
The Hilltoppers will hit the road for their first road contest of the season against the Lipscomb Bisons on Tuesday, Feb. 20 in Nashville, Tenn. beginning at 3 PM CT.
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.
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