WKU Baseball sweeps South Dakota State
WKU junior pitcher Lane Diuguid (41) throws to sophomore Ty Batusich (44) at first base to check a runner 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 12, 2023
WKU Baseball (13-4) swept the South Dakota State Jackrabbits (3-8) in their three game series March 10-12 at Nick Denes Field.
Senior pitcher Devyn Terbrak had the standout performance of the series. Terbrak threw a no hitter in the third game against the Jackrabbits. Terbrak collected 14 strikeouts in his outing and notched the first WKU no-hitter since 2009.
GAME 1
WKU opened up the weekend with an 11-6 win over the Jackrabbits.
South Dakota State opened the game with a bang. Jackrabbits senior Ryan Mcdonald hit a bomb over the left field wall on the first pitch of the game.
WKU responded in the bottom half of the first. Redshirt junior Ty Crittenberger hit a solo shot of his own making it 1-1. Grad student Kirk Liebert added the second run of the frame with an RBI single.
WKU added to their lead in the second inning on a throwing error, 3-1.
WKU had their biggest inning of the ballgame in the third. Scoring in the frame began with a sac fly from Liebert. Senior Ricardo Leonett, freshman Lukas Farris and Crittenberger followed with three straight RBI singles that widened the Hilltopper lead to six, 7-1.
South Dakota State started their comeback effort in the fifth. A solo homerun and an RBI double cut their deficit to four, 7-3.
Crittenberger countered in the bottom of the frame. He brought in his third RBI of the game with a double making it 8-3.
WKU added two more in the sixth. Graduate student Drew Reckart scored on a throwing error. Farris followed with his first career homer to make it 11-3.
South Dakota State scored three on a couple of home runs; however, the Hilltoppers prevailed 11-6.
GAME 2
WKU won their second game of the weekend with a blowout 10-3 victory.
Senior Tristin Garcia started scoring in the third with an RBI single. Farris and Liebert widened the lead with back-to-back home runs making it 3-0.
Power hitting for WKU was contagious, as two more solo shots in the fourth made it 6-0 in favor of the Hilltoppers.
WKU added three more in the fifth. South Dakota State walked in a run before a two RBI single from Reckart made it 9-0.
South Dakota State added three runs in the sixth and seventh but an RBI double from Junior Adian Gilroy capped off the great day for WKU, 10-3.
GAME 3
WKU completed the sweep with a no-hit 3-0 win.
WKU had their lowest scoring game of the entire season. Freshman Camden Ross and sophomore Brett Bloomquist brought home two in the second inning with a pair of RBI hits.
WKU endured a long scoring drought before sophomore AJ Fletcher made it 3-0 with a sac bunt in the eighth.
The sac bunt was the last run of the game as the Hilltoppers beat the Jackrabbits 3-0.
WKU will continue their season against the Austin Peay Governors Tuesday, March 14 at Nick Denes Field.
Sports reporter Jake McMahon can be reached at [email protected].
