WKU Baseball shuts down Belmont with mercy rule
WKU Hilltoppers junior pitcher Lane Diuguid (41) throws a pitch during the second round of a double-header against the NIU Huskies Saturday, March. 4, 2023 at Nick Denes Field. WKU won the second match 7-5.
March 8, 2023
WKU Baseball (10-4) mercy ruled the Belmont Bruins (5-8) 11-1, Tuesday, March 7 at Nick Denes Field.
Redshirt junior Ty Crittenberger had a great day at the plate. Crittenberger had two hits with two RBI’s in the leadoff spot. He also came across the plate twice against the Bruins.
Each offense started slow early in the game. Both WKU and Belmont went down 1-2-3 in the first inning.
Belmont put a runner on with two outs in the second, but he was stranded on first. Sophomore Ty Batusich reached on a walk, but a strikeout from the following batter kept him on first.
Starter Cole Eigenhuis faced the minimum in the top of the third. WKU had men on first and third with one out in the bottom half of the inning, but they were kept on the corners.
Belmont came across the plate in the top of the fourth with an RBI single making it 1-0.
WKU countered the lone Belmont run by scoring five in the bottom frame of the fourth. Freshman Camden Ross started the scoring in the inning with a sac fly making it 1-1. Belmont was one out away from keeping the damage to one run, however sophomore AJ Fletcher drove in another with an RBI single.
A two RBI double from Crittenberger and an RBI double from junior Aidan Gilroy capped off the five run inning, 5-1.
Belmont looked to spark a comeback with the leadoff man in the fifth reaching on an HBP, however the Hilltoppers retired three straight. WKU added two runs in the bottom of the fifth with an RBI fielder’s choice and a rare double steal where Batusich stole home making it 7-1.
Belmont went down 1-2-3 in the sixth inning. Graduate student Kirk Liebert drove in another two for the Hilltoppers on a double making it 9-1 in the bottom of the inning.
Graduate student Drew Reckart came across to score on a passed ball and freshman Lukas Farris notched an RBI single into left to put the Hilltoppers up 10, 11-1, at the end of the sixth.
WKU gave up a hit in the top of the seventh but it amounted to nothing as WKU run-ruled the Bruins 11-1.
WKU will host the South Dakota State Jackrabbits for a three game series March 10-12 at Nick Denes Field.
Sports reporter Jake McMahon can be reached at [email protected] .
