WKU Baseball mounts comeback to advance in C-USA Tournament

Arthur H. Trickett-Wile

WKU redshirt junior outfielder Ty Crittenberger (3) makes a swing during the first round of a double-header against the NIU Huskies Saturday, March. 4, 2023 at Nick Denes Field. WKU won the first match 9-8.

Jake McMahon

WKU Baseball (33-25) kept their season alive in comeback fashion against the Florida Atlantic Owls (34-25) 9-7 on Friday, May 26 at the C-USA Baseball Tournament. 

WKU fell behind early as FAU went up 2-0 after the first inning. 

FAU continued to dominate the early stages of the ballgame as the Owls scored another two in the fourth, 4-0. 

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A solo homer and an RBI double in the fifth widened the Owl lead to six.

Graduate student Kirk Liebert kickstarted the late Hilltopper comeback in the seventh. Liebert launched a two-RBI homer over the right field wall to make it 6-2.

WKU hit their stride in the eighth inning. The Hilltoppers brought seven across the plate in the bottom half of the eighth to take a 9-6 lead. 

FAU brought a run across in the ninth but the damage had already been done as WKU, with their life on the line, completed the impossible comeback and defeated the Owls 9-7. 

WKU will take on the one seeded Dallas Baptist Patriots, Saturday, May 27 at 12:30 p.m. CST. If WKU defeats DBU in the 12:30 game, the teams will meet again at 7:30 to decide who goes to the championship game.

 

Sports reporter Jake McMahon can be reached at [email protected].