HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – WKU Baseball used eight runs in the ninth inning to battle back from a four-run deficit in the final frame and complete its second sweep of the season against Marshall on Sunday afternoon at the Kennedy Center.
Heading into the ninth down 6-2, a pinch-hit grand slam by Jackson Swiney gave WKU the lead and ultimately a sweep of The Herd.
"Pretty special to do that on the road," said head coach John Pawlowski. "We've talked about how at this park anything can happen. They hit a home run and were up 6-2, but our team has a lot of confidence. They helped us out with a couple walks [in the ninth inning] and then Jackson [Swiney] - what a big moment for him - I'm just so proud of him."
Luke Stofel earned the starting nod on the mound for WKU, allowing four runs while fanning one batter in 5.0 frames. Aaron Shiflet entered in the sixth to relieve Stofel, surrendering two runs and striking out one in 2.0 innings of work. Mason Vinyard then entered the game in the eighth, picking up his team-high fifth win of the season while tossing 2.0 innings of hitless ball and striking out a career-high five batters.
At the plate, the Hilltoppers racked up 10 hits and 12 walks, with three players producing multi-hit performances. Ty Crittenberger, Matt Phipps and Ray Zuberer III each recorded two hits apiece, while Swiney added his game-changing grand slam in his lone at-bat of the contest.
"I got down 0-2 [in the count] and I was going to swing at anything to be honest," said Swiney. "I'm just happy that it worked out and we got the win so we can go home happy."
SCORING SUMMARY
WKU got on the board first, with Justin Carlin knocking in Phipps to make it 1-0 in the top of the third.
Marshall answered back in the bottom of the inning, using an RBI-single through the left side and two-RBI single up the middle to take a 3-1 lead.
The Herd tacked on another run in the sixth, with an RBI-triple to right field making it 4-1.
The Hilltoppers added a run in the top of the seventh, with Crittenberger scoring from third after Marshall's second baseman mishandled a ground ball.
Marshall again answered back in the bottom of the frame, using a two-run homer to pull ahead 6-2.
Heading into the final frame down four, the Hilltoppers then broke the game open with an eight-run inning to jump ahead.
WKU opened the frame with three consecutive walks to load the bases. Following a lineout to the pitcher in the next at-bat, a walk by Kevin Lambert plated Carlin to make it 6-3.
Stepping to the plate for his first at-bat of the game with the bases loaded, Swiney then sent a grand slam over the right field wall to give the Hilltoppers a 7-6 lead.
In the next at-bat, Phipps gave the squad its second consecutive long ball on a solo shot to right field, putting the score at 8-6.
A bases-loaded walk by Jackson Gray and RBI-single by Matthew Meyer later in the inning then gave WKU a 10-6 lead and the eventual victory.
UP NEXT
The Hilltoppers will return home to host Florida Atlantic for a four-game series beginning at 5 p.m. CT on Friday, May 7 at Nick Denes Field.
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