Key Takeaways
The Hilltoppers concluded their regular season with a 6-3 loss to the University of Delaware on Friday night, dropping their final conference showdown.
Early in the game, Austin Haller led off with a walk and Reid Howard was hit by a pitch, setting the stage for a quick strike.
Camden Ross drove in Haller with an RBI groundout, and Cael Frost followed with a double that plated Howard to push WKU ahead.
Delaware answered in the bottom of the first, scoring two runs to knot the game at 2-2.
Frost’s bat kept the pressure on, delivering a double that extended the lead, while JP Acosta’s single in the second added another runner.
Ethan Reynolds recorded his first collegiate double, driving in Acosta and giving the Hilltoppers a 3-3 tie.
A solo home run by Delaware in the third inning tied the score at 3-3, but the Blue Hens seized momentum with a two-out RBI single in the sixth.
The visitors added two more runs in the seventh, pulling ahead for good.
Dominic Monaco started on the mound, surrendering three earned runs on five hits while striking out six batters — a career-high effort.
WKU’s relief corps featured Zach Lyles, Sam Frizzi and Nathan Lawson, who worked the final innings.
Frost finished the night 3-for-3 with a double, an RBI and a walk, while Reynolds posted his first double and an RBI; Acosta went 2-for-3 with a run scored.
The Hilltoppers closed the season at 29-26 overall and 14-16 in Conference USA play.