WKU Baseball dropped their first conference series of the season March 22-24 as the FIU Panthers defeated the Hilltoppers in two out of three contests.
The series began conference play at 1-2 for WKU and brought their overall record to 16-9.
The Hilltoppers dropped the deciding game of the series Sunday after losing by ten on Friday and winning by ten on Saturday.
Game 1
WKU dropped game one of the series 11-1 in a game that was cut to seven innings.Â
The Panthers began the onslaught early, scoring five runs in the first inning and not looking back.
The Hilltoppers scored one on an RBI single in the bottom of the first, but failed to mount a comeback as FIU added two in the fourth, three in the fifth and one in the seventh.
WKU tallied only four hits and allowed 12 in the contest.
Game 2
The Hilltoppers bounced back in a big way Saturday with a 14-4 victory that was cut to eight innings.
FIU opened scoring with one in the second inning before WKU took a 4-1 lead in the third on a grand slam by sophomore Camden Ross.
WKU proceeded to outscore FIU 2-1 through the sixth inning, thanks to individual runs in the fifth and sixth innings.
FIU scored individual runs in the seventh and eighth, but WKU ended the game early in a mercy-rule with three runs in the seventh and five in the eighth.
Ross tallied six RBIs in the contest and junior Ethan Lizama had another three-hit day in the contest.
Game 3
WKU dropped the rubber match Sunday as FIU claimed a series victory with a 7-3 win.
The Hilltoppers took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the third on a fielder’s choice before FIU scored seven unanswered.
The Panthers scored two in the fifth, one in the eighth and blew the game open with a grand slam in the ninth.
WKU added two in the ninth but failed to mount a comeback.
Despite only scoring three runs, the Hilltoppers tallied ten hits in the contest.
WKU will head to Murray, KY to take on the Murray State Racers on March 26 at 3 p.m. CT.
