WKU Baseball earned its third Conference USA series sweep of the season against Louisiana Tech at Nick Denes Field May 2-4.
The Hilltoppers improved to 14-7 in CUSA, moving them up to third. WKU holds an overall 38-10 record and the best home record in the country, 29-1, at Nick Denes Field.
WKU outscored LA Tech 36-24 in the series, with many players having impressive weekends. Junior Carlos Vasquez led the way, going 6-12 on the weekend with six RBIs.
The Hilltopper pitching staff held the Bulldogs to just nine earned runs and 17 hits. Senior Cal Higgins came into relief for a combined 2.2 innings through the first two games of the weekend, holding LA Tech to three hits, one run, zero walks and striking out five.
Saturday’s game was postponed due to inclement weather, forcing the Hilltoppers to play their sixth doubleheader of the year Sunday. They remain undefeated in doubleheaders.
Game 1
WKU walked off game one of the series to win 9-8.
The Hilltoppers opened the scoring in the first inning with a three-run home run from junior Ryan Wideman, giving WKU a 3-0 lead.
LA Tech tied the game in the second inning. Their first run came off a double by graduate student Garrison Berkley. The Bulldogs ended the inning by tying the game 3-3 off back-to-back RBI groundouts from sophomore Cade Patterson and senior Thaxton Berch.
WKU took back the lead in the second inning with an RBI single from junior Carlos Vasquez, followed by a two-RBI double from senior Kyle Hayes, giving the Hilltoppers a 6-3 lead.
The Bulldogs got a run back in the third inning off a solo home run from freshman Trey Hawsey, cutting the deficit to 6-4.
The Hilltoppers extended their lead in the sixth inning. Wideman was hit by a pitch with bases loaded, bringing freshman Reid Howard home. A fielder’s choice allowed senior Joe Siervo to come home from third, giving WKU an 8-4 lead.
LA Tech scored four runs in the eighth inning to tie the game. Redshirt senior Will Safford scored the first run of the inning off a wild pitch thrown by senior Cal Higgins. Another wild pitch from Higgins allowed graduate student Michael Ballard to score. Sophomore Zeb Ruddell hit a two-run single to tie the game 8-8.
WKU walked off the game in the ninth inning. Junior pinch hitter Kyle Hvidsten hit a single, followed by a four-pitch walk to Siervo. On a 2-1 count, Vasquez hit a double to right center field, allowing Hvidsten to come home.
Game 2
WKU clinched the series win in a 5-4 win on Saturday.
The Hilltoppers got out to an early lead in the second inning thanks to an RBI triple from senior Ethan Lizama that scored Hayes. Lizama scored off a pickoff attempt to first that was dropped by freshman Trey Hawsey. WKU added two more runs in the third inning. Wideman brought Siervo home on a single, followed by an RBI double from Lizama, giving the Hilltoppers a 4-0 lead.
WKU extended its lead in the sixth inning with a solo home run from Lizama, bringing the Hilltoppers’ lead to 5-0.
LA Tech scored four runs in the seventh inning. Reshirt-junior Slade Netterville scored off a sac fly from sophomore Caleb Coates. Ruddell brought in two more runs with a double. Berkley then brought in one more with his own double, ending the game 5-4.
Sophomore Drew Whalen went three innings, keeping the Bulldogs to zero hits and zero runs while giving up six walks and striking out two.
Game 3
WKU secured the series sweep over LA Tech in a thrilling 22-12 win on Sunday.
LA Tech opened the game with a seven-run first inning, first with a two-RBI single from Berkley. Redshirt senior Brody Drost brought in two runs with a double, followed by Drost scoring on a throwing error to second base. Junior Sebastian Mexico brought in the last two runs of the inning off a double, giving the Bulldogs a 7-0 lead.
WKU had an incredible 12-run first inning to take the lead. Hayes started the rally with a two-RBI single. Wideman then came home on a wild pitch. Senior Austin Haller brought in Hayes with a single.
Siervo walked with bases loaded, bringing home another run, followed by a two-RBI double from Vasquez. Wideman hit an RBI single, followed by an RBI single from Hayes, who then scored off an error. The last run of the inning came in on an RBI single from Howard, giving the Hilltoppers a 12-7 lead.
The Bulldogs got two runs back in the third inning with a two-RBI double by Mexico, cutting the WKU lead to 12-9.
The Hilltoppers extended their lead to 13-9 in the second inning with a sacrifice groundout by Vasquez that scored Hvidsten.
WKU extended its lead by four in the fifth inning first with an RBI single by Haller, followed by a walk by Siervo with bases loaded and Vasquez getting hit by a pitch with bases loaded. The final run of the inning came in on a fielder’s choice, giving the Hilltoppers an 18-9 lead.
LA Tech got a run back in the sixth inning with a solo home run by Mexico, cutting WKU’s lead to 18-10.
The Hilltoppers scored three more runs in the sixth inning with an RBI double from Howard, an RBI double from Ross, an RBI single from Hvidsten and a wild pitch that scored Ross, bringing WKU’s lead to 22-10.
The Bulldogs got two runs back in the seventh inning off a two-run home run by junior Matt Houston, cutting the Hilltopper lead to 22-12.
“Every time they scored, we scored, and that’s gut-wrenching for them,” Head Coach Marc Rardin said. “It’s baseball. The things that are going on are just crazy. You just don’t go 28-1 at home.”
WKU Baseball returns to action next weekend, May 9-11, for a three-game CUSA series against New Mexico State.
