The WKU baseball team traveled to Miami this past weekend for a three-game set against Florida International. After taking games one and two by a run each, the team dropped game three for its first conference loss of the season.

Friday night, the two teams entered the ninth inning tied at three. Senior infielder Ryan Huck started the inning off with an infield single. Huck reached second base on a throwing error before coach Matt Myers put in junior David Simmons in as a pinch-runner for Huck.

Simmons reached third on a wild pitch and would eventually score on a passed ball by FIU and give WKU the lead and eventual victory 4-3.

Saturday’s match-up proved to be an offensive one in the first few innings. The two teams combined to score 17 runs off of 16 hits in the first five innings of play.

After going back-and-forth for the first four innings of play, WKU would take the lead for good in the fifth inning after a two-run home run by freshman outfielder Trevor Lowe. This would prove to be the last runs of the day for either team as WKU won 9-8.

The two one-run games are the 10th and 11th one-run games of the season as the team moved to 5-6 in those games. The 11 one-run games in the first 23 games of the season are the most in school history.

Seven of the nine WKU starters tallied a hit on Saturday with sophomore catcher Messex recording two. Freshman infielder Thomas Peter and junior infielder Scott Wilcox each had two RBIs on the day.

Sunday FIU jumped out to the lead early scoring two runs in the first inning. The Panthers would add one in the fourth and two in the fifth while WKU scored one run in both the fourth and eighth inning for a final score of 5-2.

The Toppers only had three hits on the day, one by Peter, Simmons, and junior catcher Devin Kelly.

Junior pitcher Justin Hageman made his return to the mound this weekend pitching one inning on Sunday and allowing one hit. Hageman has not been on the mound since opening day when WKU lost to Bowling Green State.

WKU (13-11) will be back in action on Tuesday at home against Evansville (9-14) starting at 6 p.m.