BOWLING GREEN, Ky. – 40 hits and 27 runs combined highlight the game between the Hilltoppers and Mastodons on Friday as Purdue Fort Wayne edged WKU 14-13 at Nick Denes Field.
The Tops jumped out to a 5-0 lead after the first, but the Dons scored nine straight to take a four-run lead. WKU tied it on three separate occasions through the final four innings with six RBI from junior Blake Cavill and three from junior Zayd Brannigan.
Knotted at 13-13, the Mastodons ripped a two-out, two-strike pitch into the gap that scored the go-ahead run, which proved to be the difference.
"They were really good," said head coach Marc Rardin. "They weren't like that last weekend with Murray State … we couldn't get them out. We couldn't stop them. Every time we scored, they came back and scored. They upped us one there at the end, it makes it tough. I told our guys in the dugout that we're in a dog fight tomorrow. We have to try to win the first game. It's a seven-inning game. If they're going to show up like that and keep hitting like that then we are in trouble."
Eight different Hilltopper pitchers took the mound with junior Grant Burleson earning his second consecutive Friday start. Burleson completed just 2.0 innings, surrendering three runs on six hits with two strikeouts. Senior Lane Diuguid, junior Hunter Small, sophomore Lucas Litteral, junior Luke Leverton, senior Cory Bosecker, senior Coby Moe, and senior Mason Burns all followed Burleson in that order out of the bullpen. It was a rough day at the park for the WKU relievers. The seven of them combined to allow 11 runs on 15 hits and five walks while only fanning six batters in 7.0 frames.
At the plate, the WKU offense started out hot with five runs in the first but hit a dry spell through the next four innings. After the Dons plated nine in a row to take a 9-5 advantage, the Tops loaded the bases with no outs in the sixth. On the very first pitch of the at-bat, Blake Cavill launched the first Hilltopper home run of the season over the right-center wall for a grand slam to tie the game. The Australia native answered the bell once again the very next inning with a two-RBI double to right-center, tying the game at 11-11. In the eighth, the Tops faced another two-run deficit, and the tying runs came courtesy of Zayd Brannigan with an infield single and an error by the Mastodons infield.
Six Hilltoppers recorded multi-hit performances, led by Cavill, who had a 3-for-5 afternoon with six RBI, a grand slam, and a double. Leadoff man Dylan O'Connell notched the only four-hit game going 4-for-6 with four singles. Brannigan tallied three RBI in a 3-for-4 day at the plate with a double and a triple.
UP NEXT
The Hilltoppers will play a doubleheader with Purdue Fort Wayne starting at 12 p.m. CT on Saturday, Feb. 24 at Nick Denes Field. Game two will start approximately 30 minutes following game one.
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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