Every WKU Baseball starter had at least one hit, as the Hilltoppers defeated Northern Illinois on Saturday by a score of 10-2 for their fourth straight win. Chase Larsen led the way with three base knocks and Colie Currie tied a career-high with three RBI. Making his first start of the season, righty Paul Kirkpatrick gave WKU its third consecutive six-inning start against the Huskies. Kirkpatrick struck out five and allowed two earned runs, scattering four hits and issuing only one walk. He capped his outing with a pair of strikeouts in a 1-2-3 sixth frame, finishing with 61-of-99 pitches for strikes.
In his 15th start at WKU, Kirkpatrick put forth his first outing of six innings and fewer than two runs allowed. He also matched his Hilltopper career-best with four hits allowed in a start. It was Kirkpatrick’s second outing of five-plus strikeouts (career-high seven vs. Illinois State on March 12, 2017).
The middle of the WKU lineup got things going in the bottom of the first. Three singles in a row by Chase Larsen, Jacob Rhinesmith and Sam McElreath brought home Dillon Nelson, who drew a leadoff walk. But back came NIU, who added one run apiece in the third and fourth innings to take a 2-1 lead.
Then it was the bottom of the lineup that turned the tide, as Tyler Robertson walked and Ray Zuberer III singled to begin the bottom of the fourth. After Kevin Lambert reached on a throwing error by the Huskies’ catcher, Jake Dunham, the teams left the field for a 45-minute lightning delay.
After that, the Hilltoppers exploded for six unearned runs.
Colin Butkiewicz beat out an infield single to tie the game, then Currie lifted a sacrifice fly to deep left to give WKU a 3-2 lead. With two out and the bases loaded, Rhinesmith and Robertson each lined two-run singles up the middle to tack on four more.
Along with scoreless innings from righty relievers Michael Darrell-Hicks and Devon Loomis, the Hilltoppers would add one more in the fifth and another two in the seventh. Lefty Evan Acosta secured the 10-2 victory with an eight-pitch, perfect ninth frame.
(Courtesy WKU Athletics)