WKU Baseball (19-18, CUSA 4-11) won two of three games in a series against the UAB Blazers (11-24, CUSA 4-11) April 14-16 at Young Memorial Field in Birmingham, Alabama.

GAME 1

WKU took down the Blazers in a 9-8 offensive battle in game one. 

Junior Aidan Gilroy put the Hilltoppers up 1-0 with an RBI single in the top of the fourth. 

A two-out knock from senior Tristin Garcia drove in two in the fifth making it 3-0. 

UAB found the scoreboard with an RBI single in the bottom of the sixth, 3-1. 

UAB knotted the game up at three in the seventh following an RBI single and a WKU error. 

WKU jumped back in front in the top of the eighth following two sac flies, 5-3.  

UAB exploded in the bottom of the eighth. The Blazers had five cross the plate in the frame to put the Hilltoppers in a three run hole, 8-5.

However, the Hilltoppers retaliated in the top of the ninth. A three-run bomb from Lukas Farris followed a Gilroy RBI single and put WKU on top 9-8. 

Junior Mason Burns closed out the game in the bottom of the ninth as the Hilltoppers collected the game one win, 9-8. 

GAME 2

WKU took the win in game two, 6-3. 

Farris put WKU up in the top of the fifth with an RBI single, 1-0.

UAB answered in the bottom of the fifth with an RBI single, 1-1.

Graduate Kirk Liebert sent one over the wall in the top of the sixth putting WKU up 2-1.

Redshirt junior Ty Crittenberger extended WKU’s lead in the seventh with an RBI single, 3-1. 

An RBI double from UAB cut the Hilltopper lead back to one in the bottom of the seventh, 3-2.

UAB tied the game up at three in the bottom of the eighth following a WKU error.

WKU’s ninth inning magic from game one carried into game two. Crittenberger and Garcia combined for three RBI’s in the top of the ninth as WKU won game two 6-3.

GAME 3

WKU dropped the last game of the series in ten innings, 6-4. 

Sophomore AJ Fletcher brought in the first two for the Tops in the fourth following a two RBI single. 

Crittenberger grabbed another on an RBI groundout in the same frame making the game 3-0 through four. 

Gilroy hit an RBI single to left in the top of the fifth to make it 4-0, Hilltoppers. 

UAB scored their first run of the game following a Hilltopper error in the bottom of the fifth, 4-1. 

A two out single for the Blazers brought in another in the fifth, 4-2. 

UAB scored two in the sixth following a hit and a walk to tie the game up 4-4. 

A two-run homer in the top of the tenth walked it off for the Blazers, 6-4.  

WKU will look to build on the series victory against the Evansville Aces Tuesday, April 18 at Braun Stadium in Evansville, Indiana. 

Sports reporter Jake McMahon can be reached at [email protected].