After Grayson Ivey was called out on a force play that would have won the game in walk-off fashion in the bottom of the 11th, WKU Baseball gave up a pair in the next frame and fell to visiting Charlotte by a score of 6-4 on Thursday night.
With the score tied 4-4 in the 11th inning, Colie Currie was hit by a Jacob Craver pitch to lead off. Four hitters later brought up Paul Murray with two outs and the bases loaded against 49ers reliever Philip Perry. On a 1-2 count, Murray grounded a ball to the left side and shortstop Hunter Jones made a desperation attempt at a force play on Ivey – who singled in the previous at-bat – which subsequently drew an out call at second base to end the inning.
The Hilltoppers got to extra innings because of the bat of Hunter Wood, who launched a two-out triple to the center-field wall in the ninth to bring home Currie from first base and tie the game at 4-4. In addition, Wood got the scoring started in the first inning when he lined a single into center field that also scored Currie.
Topper Notes
Kevin Elder was issued a tough-luck loss for WKU, as the reliever spun 4.2 innings of one-hit ball with three walks and three strikeouts. He was taken out for Jackson Sowell in the 12th inning after giving up two baserunners to start the frame. Both came around to score as unearned runs after a throwing error by Sowell on a sacrifice bunt attempt by Jackson Mims.
Colie Currie batted lead off for the Hilltoppers for the first time since Feb. 26, and he responded by reaching base in 5-of-7 plate appearances with two runs scored. It was the fifth time this season the center fielder has amassed three hits in a game, as well as the sixth time he has scored multiple runs. His slash line of .350/.415/.553 is a team-high in all three marks, as he reached base in a season team-best 13th consecutive contest.
Nathan Methvin, Tyler Robertson and Bryson Smith also contributed two-hit games. Although it comes with a caveat, the Hilltoppers were handed a loss for the first time this season when out-hitting their opponents – claiming a 13-to-12 edge – as the team’s record in such games dropped to 8-1. It was also the first extra-inning game this season at Nick Denes Field.
Play of the Day
Hunter Wood was 3-for-3 on the evening catching baserunners trying to steal. First, he nailed Jackson Mims at third base in the fifth inning on a conventional attempt. Then, in the 12th inning after Charlotte had scored their two runs, Wood and WKU took advantage of a miscommunication on the base paths. With Logan Sherer on first and Mims second, only Sherer was on the move. Wood ran out and tagged Mims between second and third, unassisted, then fed the ball to Grayson Ivey, who dished to Tyler Robertson to tag out Sherer at second.
What’s Up Next
The Hilltoppers will try to put the result behind them, with the first pitch of game two Friday evening at 5 p.m. Righty Paul Kirkpatrick will toe the rubber for WKU, six days after firing a complete game in a 4-3 win at UTSA, while lefty Josh Maciejewski will oppose him from the visiting dugout.
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Bryan Fyalkowski
Assistant Director of Media Relations
WKU Hilltopper Athletics