BOWLING GREEN, Ky. – WKU Baseball (6-4) dropped today's series opener against the West Virginia Mountaineers (6-4) 4-0 on Friday afternoon at Nick Denes Field.
The Hilltoppers were shutout and held to three hits for the second consecutive game.
Jack Bennett earned his first start of 2024, the second of his career. The right-hander tossed three scoreless innings to start the game, notching six strikeouts along the way, eclipsing his career high of five coming into the day. However, the Mountaineers soon caught up to Bennett's arm, with two home runs leaving the yard the next two innings to give them a 3-0 lead. The sophomore finished with seven strikeouts in 4.1 innings while allowing three runs on five hits and three walks. Lucas Litteral relieved Bennett with one out in the fifth. The sophomore surrendered just one run (zero earned) on one hit and one walk, fanning three batters in 1.1 innings of work. Luke Leverton and Cole Heath finished out the contest, conceding a combined two hits and one walk in 2.0 frames.
The Hilltopper offense was held scoreless once again, advancing just three times into scoring position. Brady Browning was responsible for two of the three WKU hits going 2-for-3 on the day with two singles. Austin Haller entered as a pinch hitter in the eighth inning and tallied an infield single for the third hit of the game. The Mountaineers gave just two free passes all day, walking a batter and hitting another with a pitch.
UP NEXT
The Hilltoppers will continue their four-game series against the West Virginia Mountaineers with a doubleheader on Saturday, March 2 beginning at 1 p.m. 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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