Bowling Green, Ky. — Three pitchers combined on a shutout, and the Western Kentucky University baseball team used a four-run sixth inning to break open a 1-0 game en route to a 5-0 win over Purdue to complete a three-game weekend sweep.
It was the fourth straight win for WKU as it improved to 5-1 on the season. Purdue fell to 0-6.
Starting pitcher Matt Hightower set the tone for WKU early as he struck out the side in the first inning after allowing a one-out double to Alex Jaffee. In fact, Jaffee was the only Boilermaker to reach second base all day as Hilltopper pitching scattered four hits on the afternoon. Hightower threw the first six innings, allowing just three hits and recording a career-high seven strikeouts as he improved to 2-0 on the season. Ben Paxton came in and allowed only one hit in two innings, and Garrie Krueger threw a scoreless ninth to finish off the combined shutout.
“I’m just really proud of the way our guys competed all weekend,” said Hilltopper head coach Chris Finwood, who has WKU off to a 5-1 start for the first time since 2003. “Our pitching really set the tone today. I thought Matt was just outstanding today, and our bullpen got the job done for us all weekend.”
After hanging out to a 1-0 lead going into the sixth, the Hilltoppers were able to get to Purdue reliever Josh Lindblom to add some relief. Chad Cregar, Wade Gaynor and Jake Wells began the inning with three straight singles, with Wells’ hit driving home Cregar for the second run of the afternoon. One out later, Matt Bracken drove in Gaynor with a single, and Matt Payton delivered a two-run double to the gap in right-center to stretch the lead to 5-0.
WKU never trailed at any point the entire weekend, outscoring the Boilermakers 21-6 in the three games.
For the third straight day, the Hilltoppers got on the board first, plating a run in the third inning with needing to have a ball leave the infield. J.B. Paxson led off with a single off the third-base bag, then moved into scoring position on a sacrifice bunt by Bracken. After a Payton groundout sent Paxson to third, Scott Kaskie chopped in infield single to plate the Hilltopper catcher and give WKU a 1-0 lead before they were able to stretch that advantage three innings later.
Offensively, Wells and Bracken each finished with two hits to pace the Hilltoppers. WKU collected 10 hits in the game, marking the fifth time in the first six games that it has reached double figures in the hit column.
WKU will host Lipscomb at 3 p.m. (CST) on Tuesday, before heading on the road to face Belmont at 3 p.m. on Wednesday in Nashville.
