WKU Baseball continued their undefeated season after sweeping the Lafayette College Leopards in a three-game series Feb. 22-23.
Senior outfielder Ethan Lizama had a great series, going 6-12 in the series, with two home runs and six RBIs.
The Hilltoppers pitching had another good series, allowing the Leopards five runs and striking out 29.
The sweep improved the Hilltoppers to 5-0.
Game 1
WKU won the first game of the series on Saturday 5-2.
The Hilltoppers opened the scoring in the third inning off a passed ball that scored senior Carlos Vasquez. They scored again off a sac fly hit by junior Camden Ross.
Lafayette responded with a home run and a sac bunt in the fifth tying the game at 2-2.
The Hilltoppers fired back in the bottom half of the inning with an RBI triple from junior Ryan Wideman, and a two-out RBI single from Ross to take the lead 4-2.
WKU scored again in the seventh on a bunt single by Ross, which led to a Leopard error, allowing Wideman to come in and extend the lead to 5-2.
Senior pitcher Cal Higgins came into the game in the sixth inning and earned his first career save. Higgins matched his career-high four innings, as well as striking out three and only allowing the Leopards one hit.
Game 2
WKU won the first game of the Sunday doubleheader 9-2.
The Hilltoppers got on board early with a double from Lizama that brought in one run and a single from Wideman that brought in another. They extended their lead in the second inning with a three-run home run by Lizama, WKU’s first home run of the season, making it 5-0.
The Leopards got a run back in the fifth off a sacrifice hit. The Hilltoppers answered in the bottom of the inning with two runs, first on a double by left fielder Caleb Marmo and then on a single from Drew Barragan, making the game 7-1.
Lafayette got another run in the sixth inning, after taking advantage of errors from Lizama and Vasquez.
WKU responded in the seventh with a double from Barragan, bringing the score to 8-1.
The Leopards scored again in the eighth from an RBI single that scored the runner from second, cutting WKU’s lead to 8-2.
The Hilltoppers fired back in the bottom half of the eighth with a long single from Wideman bringing in a run.
Sophomore starting pitcher Drew Whalen went five innings allowing just three hits, one earned run and tallied eight strikeouts.
Game 3
WKU completed the sweep on Lafayette College, winning 8-1.
The Hilltoppers scored early in the first inning off a fielder’s choice that scored Vasquez. They extended their lead in the third off back-to-back home runs from Wideman and senior Kyle Hayes.
WKU extended their lead in the fifth on an infield single from junior Kyle Hvidsten. They scored two more in the sixth from a bases-loaded hit by pitch and a sac fly by Wideman, making the lead 6-0.
Lafayette got on the board in the eighth inning with an RBI double.
The Hilltoppers stretched their lead in the eighth with a two-run home run from Lizama making the game 8-1.
“You know winning is a byproduct. It’s good, it’s exciting for the guy, but it’s about what we do within the game, throwing the strikes, making the routine plays, having good approaches at the plate,” Head Coach Marc Rardin said.
The Hilltoppers’ next game is Feb. 24 against Murray State in Murray at 3 p.m.
