The baseball team traveled to Western Kentucky University last weekend for a three-game series. The Leopards (0-7 overall) dropped all three games to remain winless in the season.
A third-inning wild pitch from senior right-handed pitcher Joe Skapinetz kicked off the scoring for the Hilltoppers (6-1 overall) in game one. The lead was stretched to 2-0 following a sacrifice fly.
The Maroon and White struck back in the fifth, courtesy of a deep left-center field shot from freshman outfielder Jack Mislan to continue his hot start to his collegiate career. Senior outfielder Easton Brenner pulled a sacrifice bunt to bring in the tying run.
The damage was short-lived, however, as Western Kentucky jumped back to a 2-run lead after a pair of RBI hits. An insurance RBI bunt in the seventh inning proved to be the last of the scoring as the Leopards suffered a 5-2 defeat. Skapinetz, who ceded four earned runs in 4.2 innings, took the loss on the day.
Both teams returned to the field for a doubleheader on Sunday. Freshman right-handed pitcher Kellen Moore struggled on the mound in the first game, surrendering five runs while only recording four outs across the first two innings.
Brenner put the Leopards on the board with an RBI fielder’s choice in the fifth, making the deficit 5-1. The Hilltoppers rebounded in the bottom of the frame, however, adding two runs before the Leopards scored on an error in the sixth to make it 7-2.
Junior catcher Ethan Swidler collected an eighth-inning RBI single, but the Leopard offense could not do any more damage as the Hilltoppers enjoyed a 9-3 victory.
Junior left-handed pitcher Trace Florio got the nod in the second half of the doubleheader and series finale. After surrendering a first-inning run, he gave up back-to-back solo shots in the third to give the Hilltoppers a 3-0 lead.
Western Kentucky added insurance in the fifth and sixth frames, collecting three runs to extend the lead to 6-0.
The Leopards’ sole run of the game came on a left-center RBI double from Swidler in the eighth. The Hilltoppers added two more in the bottom of the inning to secure the 8-1 win and complete the series sweep.
The Maroon and White will return to action this weekend, traveling to Davidson College for a 3-game road stand.
Several members of the baseball team declined or did not respond to requests for comment.
