In a back and forth Conference USA battle WKU Baseball succumbed to the No. 1 seed Jacksonville State in a 12-11 game on Friday afternoon.
The Hilltoppers are eliminated from the CUSA Tournament with the loss thanks to a walk off single by pinch hitter redshirt freshman utility player Sam Richardson.
The two teams were hot at the plate from the opening frame. WKU put up a run from a bases-loaded walk by senior outfielder Daniel Stewart. However the bases were left loaded as junior infielder JP Acosta lined out to the mound.
Hitting with runners on proved to be the Achilles’ heel for the Hilltoppers as they hit just 5-22 with runners on pads and 2-11 with runners in scoring position. On top of that, WKU left 11 runners on base including the bases loaded on three separate occasions.
The game saw four lead changes as no team gave up in the box. WKU’s biggest lead came after the seventh as they took a 8-4 lead into the bottom frame, however, the Gamecocks responded with five of their own runs to take the lead back.
Going into the ninth, the teams were in a 10-10 deadlock. The tie was broken by junior infielder and only all-conference entry for the Hilltoppers Lane Arroyos who hit an RBI single to bring home senior infielder Austin Haller. Arroyos ended the CUSA Tournament going 1-8 with three walks and four strikeouts.
Head Coach Marc Rardin called to sophomore Dominic Monaco to close the game out but a leadoff hit by pitch and double gave life to the Gamecocks. Graduate right-hander Sam Frizzi took the mound with a runner on third and Richardson as the pinch hitter. On the second pitch Richardson hit a ball to left field to give Jax State the win and a perfect 2-0 record in pool A.
The mound saw struggles from both teams as WKU used seven arms and the Gamecocks used six. The Hilltoppers saw starter junior right-hander Ka’olu Holt go three innings, giving up three runs on four hits, two walks and one strikeout. In relief senior right-hander Dawson Hall pitched just two outs before he was taken out with runners on the corners.
After a strong two innings out of junior left-hander Zach Lyles, junior right-hander Mick Ueblhor could only get one out in giving up five runs on just two hits.
The mound wasn’t pretty for the Gamecocks either as starter redshirt junior left-hander and All-CUSA First team entry Eli Pillsbury gave Jax State 1.2 innings where he gave three runs on two hits and three walks. While Jax State’s next three relievers held the Hilltoppers to one run on four strikeouts, WKU jumped onto junior right-hander Jackson Evers for its four runs in the seventh.
Although earning the win, junior right-hander Skyler Hutton gave up three runs on four hits, as he pitched the final two innings.
Jacksonville State capitalized on its opportunities, hitting 6-for-14 with runners on base to put the dagger into WKU’s tournament run.
