HOUSTON – No. 1 DBU knocked off No. 4 WKU 10-2 in the final game of day two of the 2023 Conference USA Baseball Championship on Thursday night from Reckling Park in Houston on the campus of Rice University. The Patriots have outscored their first two opponents 23-4 over the first two games.
 
DBU jumped out to an early lead in the bottom of the first – putting a four-spot on the board thanks to a leadoff home run by Jace Grady, a two-run double by Ethan Mann and an RBI groundout by Alex Pendergast.
 
WKU responded by tallying a run of their own in the second when Wednesday night’s walkoff hero AJ Fiechter had an RBI infield single to cut the DBU lead to 4-1.
 
The Hilltoppers inched closer in the top of the fifth with a sacrifice fly by Aidan Gilroy to cut the lead to 4-2.
 
DBU reestablished its four-run cushion in the bottom half of the fifth when Tom Poole had an RBI groundout to second, followed by George Specht driving a run in with a sacrifice fly to deep left.  
 
WKU threatened in the top of the sixth, loading the bases with nobody out, however, DBU’s Zane Russell worked out of the jam unscathed. DBU then immediately extended its lead to 8-2 when Nathan Humphreys crushed a two-run home run to right-center.
 
DBU tacked on a couple more insurance runs in the bottom of the eighth to push the Patriot advantage to 10-2 and shut the door in the ninth.
 
The Patriots advance to Saturday, where they await the winner of Friday night’s elimination contest between WKU and Florida Atlantic.