Tops Sweep Mastodons on Saturday; Take 2-1 Series Lead

Saturday, February 24

Bowling Green, Ky.

12:00 PM CT

Western Kentucky University

4-2

Purdue Fort Wayne

1-4

Purdue Fort Wayne

WKU

Photo by: Savannah Philpot/WKU Athletics

2/24/2024 8:03:00 PM | Baseball

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BOWLING GREEN, Ky. – WKU Baseball (5-2) swept today's doubleheader against Purdue Fort Wayne (1-5) to take the series lead 2-1 after earning a 10-1 win in game one and a 9-5 victory in game two.

The Hilltoppers continued their hot hitting, posting 19 runs on 18 hits combined on Saturday. The Tops pitching staff turned the page from yesterday, allowing only six runs on 18 hits to the Mastodons. Senior Jacob Bimbi earned his second winning decision in as many starts in game one, fanning nine batters in 5.0 innings of work. Sophomore Camden Ross led the Tops at the plate with five RBI in six at-bats on the day with two doubles.

"The second game, we just preached 'it's a marathon, not a sprint,'" said head coach Marc Rardin. "They got on us there, it was 3-1 there for a while. We were really trying to make sure we were staying with our approach. I think we lost ourselves. We kind of gave away some innings with those at-bats. Then, like a lot of things, it's bullpen. We get to their bullpen. No different when we get to our bullpen, and you see [Drew] Whalen come out. We talk about matching up with the other team. When Drew comes in, he has to match their guys coming out of the pen and he has to be better. No different then when we ask our positions to be better then their position guys. That second win is Drew."

Game One

Bimbi has been lights out in two starts for the Hilltoppers. In 11.0 innings, the southpaw has 16 strikeouts while only surrendering four hits and one run, boasting a 2-0 record. Junior Luke Leverton was the only Hilltopper to leave the bullpen in game one on his way to his first save of the season. The right-hander didn't allow run to cross on two hits and a walk in 2.0 frames of work.

At the dish, junior Blake Cavill continued his dominance in the box, launching his second homer in two games over the left center wall. The Australia native was 2-for-3 with two RBI and three runs scored. The second home run of the game came courtesy of junior Ethan Lizama. His first Big Red Bomb scored two runs, extending the lead to 4-1 in the third. A six-run sixth inning pushed the Tops lead to 10-1, that included a two RBI double by Camden Ross that essentially put the game away.

Game Two

Junior Zach Dueñas earned the starting nod in game two of the doubleheader – his first start as a Hilltopper. The Olney, Ill. native surrendered two runs on seven hits with one strikeout in 3.0 innings. Dueñas was relieved by freshman Drew Whalen, who made his third appearance of the season. Whalen obtained the winning decision after 4.2 frames, allowing one run on two hits and two walks with four strikeouts. Whalen was followed out of the pen by sophomore Cal Higgins. The left-hander conceded two runs on four hits and one walk in 1.1 innings.

It was a relatively quiet game for the Hilltopper bats with just six hits finding fair ground. The biggest hit of the six came off junior Joey Baran's bat, knocking the second grand slam of the weekend over the left field wall. Baran finished the day with four RBI in a 1-for-5 outing in the game two. Ross continued to rack up RBI in game two as well, claiming three total in a 2-for-5 performance with another double. Like the first game, WKU utilized a six-run sixth inning to take and extend the lead to 9-3, putting the game out of reach.

UP NEXT

The Hilltoppers will conclude their four-game series with the Mastodons on Sunday, February 25, beginning at 3 p.m. CT at Nick Denes Field.

How to follow WKU Baseball: For complete information on WKU Hilltopper Baseball, visit WKUSports.com or follow the program via social media @WKU_Baseball on Twitter and @WKUBaseball Instagram.