The WKU baseball team fell to 7-4 on the season after being swept in a three-game series against Jacksonville State. The Gamecocks won the first two games by scores of 5-4 and 8-7; both games ended in walk-offs.

Jacksonville State won the final game 9-7 as senior first baseman Paschal Petrongolo hit a three run homer in the bottom of the sixth inning to give the final lead back to the Gamecocks.

After Jacksonville State jumped out to an early 2-0 lead in the final contest, WKU junior outfielder Paul Murray doubled to score sophomore outfielder Kaleb Duckworth to cut the Gamecock lead to one.Shortly after, junior catcher Hunter Wood’s RBI scored Murray from third to tie the game after two innings.

After senior pitcher Ryan Thurston outed three straight Gamecocks, senior infielder Danny Hudzina scored junior infielder Thomas Peter from first base to give the Hilltoppers their first lead of the game. Murray’s sacrifice fly scored Hudzina for his second RBI of the game that capped off four unanswered runs by the Hilltoppers.

However, the Gamecocks would answer with three straight runs after Petrongolo’s RBI single gave the Jacksonville State the one-run lead after five innings.

Peter came up big once again for the Hilltoppers in the sixth. With the game tied at 5-5, Peter’s sacrifice brought home freshman infielder Brandon Pollock to give the lead back to WKU. Duckworth’s single scored junior outfielder Zach Janes to extend the lead to 7-5 after six innings.

That would be the last run for the Hilltoppers during the game. After the Gamecocks cut the lead to one, Petrongolo’s three run shot would be the game’s final runs. Jacksonville State ended up victorious by a final score of 9-7 to cap off a sweep of the visiting Hilltoppers.

The Hilltoppers drop to 7-4 after starting the season 7-1 and will travel to Knoxville, Tennessee to face the University of Tennessee (7-3) Monday night at 6 p.m. EST.