Jacob Rhinesmith hit a home run and stole a base for Western Kentucky’s baseball team, but the Hilltoppers dropped a 10-1 decision to Tennessee Tech on Tuesday night.

The Golden Eagles extended the longest win streak in the nation to 21 straight.

Ten days after becoming only the second hitter in Division I to reach the 10-home run, 10-steal mark, Rhinesmith recorded one of each Tuesday. Since then, a handful of others have joined the club.

Four of the first five Tennessee Tech hitters reached base in the top of the fourth as the visitors took an early 3-0 lead.

WKU starter Troy Newell settled in, retiring 11 of the final 12 batters to cap his outing with three scoreless innings.

The Golden Eagles scratched across two more in the fifth and one in the following frame before Rhinesmith struck in the bottom of the sixth.

On a 3-1 pitch from Tennessee Tech starter Nic Dye, the center fielder hit the top of the Nick Denes Field scoreboard with a swing to cut the Hilltopper deficit to 7-1.

Shortstop David Garza went 3-for-5 for the Golden Eagles with two homers and a double.

The senior hit a three-run home run in the top of the ninth to round out the scoring in the 10-1 final.

Righty Jeff Ciocco made his first appearance since March 9, retiring the last two Tennessee Tech batters. In 2 2/3 innings of work in three appearances this season, the sophomore has not given up a run with only one hit and one walk against.

WKU travels to Alabama-Birmingham this weekend for a three-game set in Conference USA action. First pitch Friday will be at 6:30 p.m., followed by a 2 p.m. start time Saturday and 1 p.m. for the finale Sunday.

All three games will be streamed on CUSA.tv from Regions Field, the home of the Birmingham Barons.

Clark leads WKU golf in Day Two of C-USA tourney

Western Kentucky freshman Megan Clarke led the way for the Lady Toppers in Tuesday’s second round of the Conference USA Championship, while senior Georgina Blackman continued her success on the course.

Blackman and Clarke stand tied for third and sixth, respectively, through day two while the Lady Toppers are sixth in the team standings.

The Heckmondwike, England, native Clarke tied her season low of 71 at the par-72, 6,194-yard Verandah Club in Fort Myers, Fla.

Clarke last earned that mark at the season-opening USA Intercollegiate in September.

The freshman was the most improved Lady Topper from the first to second rounds, having lowered her score by five strokes. She notched five birdies throughout the day.

Blackman started off with a tough front nine but was able to stay toward the top of the leaderboard after shooting 2 under in her last eight holes, finishing with a score of 76 for the day. She is just two strokes back from the leader with only one more round to play.

Both Clarke and Blackman are in contention for WKU’s top finish since Crystal Anglea finished fifth at the 2000 Sun Belt Conference Championship.

They are also each in the top five for birdies made thus far in the tournament, with Blackman notching eight and Clarke sinking seven.

As a team, WKU is sixth with a second-round score of 303 and a two-day total of 605. UTSA leads the pack with a score of 586. The Lady Toppers are second in team pars with 108, just behind Old Dominion with 112.

Sophomore Mary Joiner repeated her 3-over score from the opening round, shooting 75 in day two. The Franklin native sits tied for 12th place.

Lady Topper senior Katie Story and sophomore Bailey Tyree finished the day shooting 81 and 82, respectively.

The final round of the C-USA Championship began Wednesday morning.

Hayes earns Men’s track athlete of week honor

Western Kentucky track and field’s Austin Hayes was named the Conference USA Men’s Track Athlete of the Week on Tuesday following a stellar showing at the Governors Invitational.

Hayes’ first career award also doubles as the Hilltoppers’ first accolade of the 2018 outdoor season.

Over the weekend, the London native placed first in all four events he competed in including the 100 and 200-meter dashes and the 4×100 and 400-meter relays.

In his first race in the event all season, Hayes clocked a time of 10.51 seconds in the 100-meter dash to place first. For the second weekend in a row, he won the 200 with a time of 21.11, a personal record and season best for the program.

Hayes also competed on both relay teams for the Hilltoppers.

Hayes anchored the winning 4×400 relay that posted a time 3:15.75, outrunning the next fastest team by more than five seconds.

In the 4×100 relay, Hayes ran the third leg as the squad finished with a time of 40.03, just narrowly missing a season best by six one-hundredths of a second. The next fastest team was more than three seconds behind WKU.

WKU’s squad will divide this week as the majority of the Hilltopper squad, including Hayes, will travel to Torrance, Calif., to compete in the Mt. SAC Relays while the Lady Topper squad and a few Hilltoppers will compete in the Georgia Tech Relays in Atlanta.

Malamou named

to C-USA academic team

Western Kentucky graduate senior Elpida Malamou was named Tuesday to the 2018 Conference USA All-Academic Team for women’s tennis.

Malamou is one of two Lady Topper tennis players to earn all-academic honors since WKU joined C-USA, the other being her former teammate Andreanna Christopoulou.

In her four years at WKU, the Ioannina, Greece, native has claimed her spot in the program’s record books. Heading into the C-USA championship, Malamou has notched 42 singles and 27 doubles wins, making her the winningest Lady Topper in program history in both areas of play.

After graduating in three years with a degree in psychology, Malamou is pursuing a master’s degree in recreation and sport administration with an emphasis in intercollegiate athletic administration.

Malamou has earned a number of academic honors in her time at WKU including being named a 2017 ITA Scholar-Athlete Award Recipient.

The 2018 All-Academic team laurel is the third accolade Malamou has earned in the last week as she was also named to the 2018 Commissioner’s Honor Roll and earned the 2018 Commissioner’s Medal.