Hilltoppers Take Down Southern Indiana on Tuesday

Tuesday, March 19

Bowling Green, Ky.

4:00 PM CT

Western Kentucky University

15-7

Southern Indiana

9-11

Southern Indiana

WKU

Photo by: Steve Roberts/WKU Athletics

3/19/2024 7:56:00 PM | Baseball

Box Score Box Score (PDF)Photo Gallery

BOWLING GREEN, Ky. – The Hilltopper bullpen allowed zero earned runs as WKU Baseball defeated Southern Indiana 5-3 on Tuesday at Nick Denes Field.

Six arms took the mound for the Tops with senior Lane Diuguid earning the starting nod. The southpaw fanned four hitters while allowing two unearned runs on four hits in 2.0 innings of work. Junior Cole Heath, freshman Jace Kirby, junior Luke Leverton, and graduate student Coby Moe held the Screaming Eagles scoreless for the next 6.0 frames, only allowing two hits and two walks, combined. Senior Mason Burns claimed his fourth save of the season, conceding one unearned run on one hit.

"You go down the line, Cole Heath was good, doesn't even give up a hit and has two strikeouts," said head coach Marc Rardin. "Then, Kirby comes in. We're trying to get him going as a freshman and he's been struggling a little bit, but he's one of our guys for our near future. Just giving him an inning that he can grind through. Of course, Zayd [Brannigan] makes a big play for him at shortstop, but that's what it takes, just keep getting the ball over the plate. Leverton did fine. You won't typically see him out there for an inning and a third. He's typically our 'two batters, get an out or two and get out' type of guy. I tried to stretch him out a bit today just to help us on a midweek and let him get his work in. He came in and did what he was supposed to do. Then of course, you go to Moe, who doesn't give up a hit in an inning and two-thirds, and then Mason Burns. It was a good team win, overall, with everybody throughout the lineup and everybody coming out of the bullpen."

The Hilltopper offense scored five runs on nine hits and five walks. Junior Ethan Lizama tallied a pair of RBI in a 1-for-3 outing while junior Brady Browning notched the only two-hit effort, going 2-for-3 with a run scored. Juniors Cristian Garcia, Zayd Brannigan, and senior Jaylin Rae all recorded an RBI a piece in the win.

Lizama got the game going with an RBI single through the left side to give WKU an early 1-0 lead, but Southern Indiana wasted no time answering, scoring two on an RBI single to left center in the top of the second.

WKU evened things at 2-2 in the third inning on a sacrifice fly from Lizama, his second RBI of the day.

Brannigan broke the tie in the bottom of the sixth with an RBI single, giving the Tops a 3-2 lead.

In the eighth, WKU added a couple of insurance runs with a pinch-hit RBI from Rae and an RBI groundout from Garcia.

An RBI double from the Screaming Eagles in the top of the ninth got a run back, but they were unable to add any more, resulting in a 5-3 win for the Hilltoppers.

UP NEXT

The Hilltoppers will begin Conference USA play this weekend as they host FIU for a three-game series with first pitch on Friday set for 6 p.m. CT. All three games will be available to stream on ESPN+.

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.