BOWLING GREEN, Ky. - Freshman right-hander Justin Hageman allowed two runs - one earned - on four hits through eight innings and catcher Matt Rice and center fielder Kes Carter combined to go 6-for-10 with seven RBIs to lead the Western Kentucky University baseball team to a 13-2 series-clinching victory over Arkansas State on Saturday afternoon at Nick Denes Field.
With the game tied 2-2 in the bottom of the fifth, WKU (24-12, 10-4 Sun Belt Conference) broke open the game with a six-run fifth inning and never trailed again against Arkansas State (16-21, 4-9). The Hilltoppers added a single run in the seventh and four more in the eighth.
WKU has won seven of its last eight games, including four straight, and has won 22 of its last 23 home series dating back to 2008. The Hilltoppers scored double-digit runs on double-digit hits for the 11th time this season.
Hageman (6-3) limited the Red Wolves to one earned run on four hits with a walk and eight strikeouts in eight innings. Sophomore Andrew Zimmerman closed out the game with a scoreless ninth.
Carter went 3-for-5 with a double, a home run and four RBIs while Rice collected three RBI singles. Left fielder Jared Andreoli and right fielder Ryan Hutchison also tallied three hits each with Hutchison driving in a pair of runs.
With his single in the eighth inning, Rice passed Brad Worley, who played from 1989-92, for second all-time on the career hits list. With 279 career hits, Rice is two hits away from tying the school record. He is also one RBI away from tying the record for RBIs in a career.
The Red Wolves took a 2-0 lead in the top of the second when right fielder Todd Baumgartner led off the inning with a home run to left field, his fourth of the year, and catcher Tyler Smith later added a sacrifice fly.
WKU tied the game at 2-2 with a pair of runs in the bottom of the fourth inning. Shortstop Logan Robbins drove in the first run with a triple to left center followed by an RBI single by Rice.
Ten Hilltoppers batters came to the plate in the bottom of the fifth as WKU tallied six runs to make the score 8-2. Third baseman Casey Dykes gave the Hilltoppers its first lead of the game with an RBI single to center field. Rice added a run with an RBI single followed by a two-run single by Carter. Hutchison capped the scoring with a two-run double to center.
A solo home run by Carter in the bottom of the seventh, his fourth homer of the year, pushed the WKU lead to 9-2.
The Hilltoppers added four runs in the eighth inning to push the final score to 13-2. Second baseman Ivan Hartle tallied an RBI double followed by an RBI single by Andreoli. Rice later added an RBI single and Carter drove in a pair of runs with a double.
The WKU offense tagged Arkansas State starting pitcher Brad Allen (2-3) for eight runs - seven earned - on 10 hits with a walk in 4-1/3 innings. Right-hander Daniel Wright gave up five runs on seven hits in 3-1/3 innings and fellow right-hander John Koch recorded the final out.
The Hilltoppers will go for the series sweep at 1 p.m. Saturday. WKU will send right-hander Brian Edelen (3-1, 4.70 ERA) against Arkansas State right-hander Jacob Lee (3-3, 2.24).
