Bullpen Helps WKU Clinch Series Win Against Jax State

Friday, March 29

Jacksonville, Ala.

6:00 PM CT

Western Kentucky University

18-10, 3-2

Jacksonville State

9-17, 0-5

Western Kentucky

Jacksonville State

Photo by: Jack Todd, WKU Athletics

3/29/2024 10:18:00 PM | Baseball

Box Score Box Score (PDF)

JACKSONVILLE, Ala. – The Hilltopper bullpen dazzled as WKU beat Jax State 5-4 to clinch the series victory on Friday night at Rudy Abbott Field at Jim Case Stadium. The Hilltoppers improve to 18-10 (3-2 CUSA) while the Gamecocks fall to 9-17 (0-5 CUSA).

In 5.0 innings of work, the WKU relievers tallied nine punchouts while allowing one run on six hits. Sophomore Lucas Litteral claimed his second win of the season out of the pen recording two strikeouts in 2.0 frames without conceding a run on two hits. Junior Grant Burleson added a strikeout with a scoreless inning of work in the seventh. Senior Mason Burns finished things off for the second night in a row, notching five strikeouts in the final 2.0 innings to earn his second consecutive save and sixth overall.

"It shows what we have," said head coach Marc Rardin. "I think we saw that going back to the West Virginia series when it's a four-game series and the guys that we were able to have to give us a chance to win the last two of that four-game series. You see it tonight where Burns just really stepped up. He goes for basically nine outs in the last twenty-four hours. He'll have tomorrow off. The pitching is where it starts and where it ends."

At the dish, WKU scored five runs on five hits with sophomore Camden Ross having the only multi-hit outing. The Broomfield, Co. native went 2-for-3 with a double and two RBI while juniors Ethan Lizama and Brady Browning drove in a run a piece.

Ross got the offense going early with a two-out, two RBI double down the line to give the Tops a 2-0 lead.

The Gamecocks were able to even the score in the bottom of the third with a two-run homer and eventually take the lead 3-2 in the bottom of the fourth on a wild pitch.

The Hilltoppers regained the lead 5-3 with three runs in the top of the seventh on a single by Lizama, a sacrifice fly from Browning, and a wild pitch that scored another.

Jax State used an RBI single in the bottom of the ninth to make it a one-run game, but Burns' fifth punchout ended the game in a 5-4 WKU win.

UP NEXT

The Hilltoppers and Gamecocks will conclude their series tomorrow afternoon at Abbot Field. First pitch is set for 1 p.m. CT.

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