With the split, Western is now 14-30 on the season and 4-11 in the Sun Belt Conference, while South Alabama stands at 28-19 and 12-6 in the league.
Down 4-3 entering the eighth inning in game one, Western seemed to be going quietly as Jaguar starter P.J. Walters retired the first two Hilltopper batters. However, Kacy Bruce was able to leg out a double on a ball hit to right, keeping the inning alive. Michael Wilhite followed with a fly ball to right that hit off the glove of Ben Froemming as Bruce scored to tie the game. Eric Scriven gave Western the lead as his third hit of the contest of USA reliever Chase Christianson plated Wilhite to make it 5-4. After a Ben Cooper double put runners at second and third, Matt Ransdell came through with a single as both runners came home to score and stretch the Hilltopper advantage to 7-4.
Western drew first blood in the opening contest, loading the bases with one out in the second inning. Walters then hit Wilhite with a pitch, forcing home Jordan Newton with the game’s first run. Scriven followed with a sacrifice fly as the Hilltoppers jumped out to a 2-0 lead.
After blanking USA through three innings, WKU starter Stephen Muck ran into some problems in the fourth as the Jags loaded the bases with just one out. South Alabama then got three straight singles from Jeff Cunningham, Joel Collins and Jeff Morgan as four runs came across to score, giving the Jaguars a two-run lead.
South Alabama threatened again in the fourth, loading the bases with one out and ending the afternoon for Muck. However, J.C. Faircloth came out of the bullpen and got the next two batters to pop up on the infield, retiring the side with no damage done.
Western pulled within a run in the eighth when a two-out single from Tim Grogan plated Scriven to make it a 4-3 game before the Hilltoppers plated five runs in their final two at bats to take game one.
Faircloth (1-3) got the victory in relief in game one as he blanked the Jaguars over the final 4.2 innings, allowing just one hit and striking out a pair. Walters (7-5) suffered the loss as he allowed five Hilltopper runs — only two of which were earned — on eight hits, while striking out five.
After a pair of scoreless innings to start game two — a seven-inning contest — the Jaguars picked up a run in the third inning as Guillermo Martinez picked up a one-out single and came around to score on a Froemming double to make it a 1-0 game. USA increased the lead to 2-0 one inning later as, with two outs, Jeff Cunningham doubled and scored on a Joel Collins RBI single.
That would be all the support Adam Wood needed as he went the distance, blanking the Hilltoppers on just five hits and striking out three. Daniel Faulkner was the hard-luck loser for WKU as he also threw well, allowing just two runs on seven hits, while striking out three and allowing no walks in his six innings on the hill.
Offensively on the day, Ransdell collected four hits and drove home a pair in the first game. Scriven finished 3-for-4 in the opener, while also driving in a pair.
The Hilltoppers will take the week off for final exams before returning to action on Saturday (May 7) as they return home to host Arkansas State in a pivotal Sun Belt series at Nick Denes Field. The Hilltoppers and Indians will play a doubleheader on Saturday beginning at 1 p.m. (CDT), the wrap up the series on Sunday (May 8) with a 1 p.m. contest.
