Batusich Homers Twice in 14-1 Victory over Ohio

BOWLING GREEN, Ky. – WKU Baseball defeated the Ohio Bobcats 14-1 on Friday at Nick Denes Field. The Hilltoppers move to 5-0 for the first time since the 2011 season, while the Bobcats drop to 1-3.

In the bottom of the first inning, Ty Crittenberger reached on a walk, while Tristin Garcia was hit by a pitch before Ty Batusich came to the dish. After a bunt attempt, the sophomore launched a ball over the scoreboard in right center field for a three-run bomb to give the Tops an early 3-0 lead over the Bobcats. Batusich would add to it in the bottom of the seventh with a solo shot to right center and record his, team-leading, fourth RBI of the day.

“Contagious hitting and working the middle of the field is what stood out to me today,” said head coach Marc Rardin. “We did not see a lot of ground balls to the corner infielders. They worked the middle of the field, squared the ball up and stayed locked in. It is hard to stay locked in when you jump out 9-0 in three innings. Then, they start giving away their at-bats, getting a little greedy. They try to do more, and they did not tonight. They stayed locked in.”

RHP Mason Burns made his second start of the season on the rubber. The Bloomington native recorded seven strikeouts in his second consecutive start in six innings of work, while giving up one run with no walks in his second collegiate win and first as a Hilltopper. Beau Coffman made the sole relief appearance on the mound, making his Division I debut in the seventh inning. The junior claimed one strikeout in three innings of work, while not giving up a single hit or run in the process of earning his first career save.

At the dish, WKU racked up, a season-high, 15 hits, with six Hilltoppers producing two-hit efforts. Batusich led the way going 2-for-2 with two long balls accounting for four RBI. Drew Reckart recorded his second-straight three RBI game, going 2-for-5 with a double and three runs scored. Lukas Farris added two doubles and two RBI of his own, while Ty Crittenberger, Brayden Johnson, and Brett Blomquist each hit a double in the contest.

SCORING SUMMARY

Batusich kicked off the high-scoring affair with a three-run shot over the scoreboard in the first, followed by Reckart scoring Farris with an infield single to make the score, 4-0.

Reckart later scored off a throwing miscue from the Bobcats to scratch another run for the Tops to go up 5-0 after the first inning.

Three more runs crossed in the second off a two-RBI double from Reckart and an RBI double from Brayden Johnson.

The ninth straight run of the day came off a double from Crittenberger that scored Matthew Meyer.

In the fourth, Brett Blomquist doubled to center scoring another run, followed an RBI from Meyer that scored Johnson.

Farris’ second double scored two more runs in the fifth, putting the score at 13-0.

The first and only run for the Bobcats came in the sixth inning off ground out, making the score 13-1.

The final run of the day was a solo shot to right center from Batusich, his second of the day, putting the final tally at 14-1.

UP NEXT

The Hilltoppers will continue its four-game series at home against the Ohio Bobcats with a doubleheader on Saturday, Feb. 25 beginning at 1 p.m. CT.