After 11 innings, junior outfielder Joe Siervo earned the Hilltoppers their first-ever CUSA Championship title with a walk-off RBI single to center field, putting away the Jacksonville State Gamecocks 6-5 on Sunday.
The walk-off marks the Hilltoppers’ third walk-off win in the CUSA Tournament. With the win, the Hilltoppers earn an automatic bid to the NCAA Baseball Tournament, their first appearance since 2009.
Siervo led WKU in the box, going 2-for-4 with a walk and three RBIs. The nine-hole hitter gave WKU its first lead in the seventh and secured the win for the Hilltoppers.
Senior Gavin Perry started the game on the mound for the Hilltoppers, giving up five hits, resulting in four runs in his 3.1 innings pitched. Senior Lucas Hartman stopped the bleeding after taking over on the mound three batters into the fourth, putting three consecutive zeros on the board for the Hilltoppers. Senior Cal Higgins relieved Hartman in the eighth, tossing four innings, holding the Gamecocks to one run.
Despite the win, WKU was outhit 10-6, with more batters getting on base off their seven walks than Hilltopper hits.
The Gamecocks got out to an early 1-0 lead after sophomore catcher Grayson Ashe singled to right field, scoring senior outfielder Drew Collins, who hit a leadoff single at the top of the first.
WKU responded at the bottom of the first with a sacrifice fly by senior first baseman Kyle Hayes, tying the game 1-1.
The Gamecocks reclaimed the lead in their next at-bat off a solo home run from freshman third baseman Matthew Cash. Hilltopper batters were dispatched in order at the bottom of the second.
Perry put up two strikeouts, putting the first zero on the board for the Hilltoppers. The Hilltoppers followed suit with a scoreless frame of their own.
Perry faced three batters at the top of the fourth, giving up a hit and walking one before senior Lucas Hartman took his place on the mound, retiring the final two batters.
JSU scored two runs in the fourth. Ashe came home on a throwing error from senior right fielder Ethan Lizama following a single from junior infielder Caleb Johnson. A sacrifice fly from Cash scored Johnson, pushing the lead to 4-1.
Lizama hit a leadoff home run at the bottom of the fourth to cut the Hilltopper deficit to 4-2.
Hartman left one on base at the top of the fifth, putting another zero on the board for the Hilltoppers. The Hilltoppers couldn’t capitalize on a leadoff four-pitch walk to freshman shortstop Reid Howard as Siervo grounded into a double play and Vasquez struck out swinging.
Cash and junior center fielder Ash Williamson hit back-to-back singles in the sixth but were left on base after junior center fielder Ryan Wideman threw out Cash at second. Wideman followed his defensive play with a solo home run in the bottom frame, cutting the Hilltopper deficit to 4-3.
JSU couldn’t capitalize on Collins’ one-out walk and left him on base in the seventh. Siervo hit a two-run home run to give WKU a 5-4 lead.
A sac fly from Cash tied the game in the eighth. Hvidsten led off the bottom frame with a walk, but the Hilltoppers went down in order after, keeping the score 5-5.
Higgins walked Collins at the top of the ninth, but a double play from Howard to Hayes sent the Hilltoppers to the plate. WKU left a runner on base in the bottom of the ninth after junior pinch runner Caleb Niehaus slipped rounding third base and was tagged out.
Ashe hit a two-out single in the tenth but was left on base after Higgins collected his fourth strikeout. Lizama got on base off a two-out walk but was stranded after a diving catch in center field from Williamson sent the game to the eleventh.
Jax State went down in order in the eleventh. The Hilltoppers walked the game off with an RBI single by Siervo.
Sports Reporter David Quintanilla can be reached at [email protected].
