HOUSTON – No. 4 WKU completed a six-run comeback to shock No. 5 seed Florida Atlantic 10-9 in the final game of day one of the 2023 Conference USA Baseball Championship on Wednesday night from Reckling Park in Houston on the campus of Rice University.
 
WKU jumped out in front in the bottom of the first, plating a pair of runs. Aidan Gilroy drove in the first with a double the other way, down the left field line, and the second run crossed on a fielder’s choice with the bases loaded.
 
Florida Atlantic tied things up in the top of the third when C-USA Player of the Year Nolan Schanuel crushed a game-tying two run shot to right-centerfield.
 
WKU seized the lead right back in the bottom half of the inning, as Lukas Farris knocked in the go-ahead run with a single to left to put the Hilltoppers back on top, 3-2. WKU threatened to bust the game open, but ultimately left the bases loaded.
 
The Owls then scored three runs of their own in the top of the fourth to grab a 5-3 advantage, courtesy of a two-out, two-run single to center by Armando Albert. A wild pitch then scored the third run of the frame. A solo shot to right from Mitchell Hartigan in the top of the fifth stretched the FAU lead to 6-3.
 
Spencer Rich seemingly blew the game open in the top of the seventh with a three-run blast to right-center, putting the Owls on top 9-3.
 
WKU stormed all the way back, however, with a six-spot in the bottom half of the seventh, capped off by a pinch-hit, game-tying, three-run shot on a full count with two away by Andrew Delaney.
 
The Hilltoppers completed the comeback with a two-out, bases loaded RBI single by AJ Fiechter in the bottom of the ninth to walk off the Owls.
 
The Hilltoppers are now set to take on top-seeded DBU and will play Thursday night at 7:30 p.m. CT. Florida Atlantic will face host and No. 8 seed Rice in an elimination game at 4 p.m. CT on Thursday.