Hilltoppers Take Series from SEMO with Sunday Win

Sunday, March 17

Cape Girardeau, Mo.

1:00 PM CT

Western Kentucky University

14-7

Southeast Missouri State

8-13

Western Kentucky

Southeast Missouri

Photo by: Jack Todd, WKU Athletics

3/17/2024 5:49:00 PM | Baseball

Box Score Box Score (PDF)

BOWLING GREEN, Ky. – Despite being held scoreless through three innings and falling behind 2-0 in the first frame, WKU Baseball (14-7) came away victorious over Southeast Missouri (8-13) 7-2 on Sunday at Capaha Field, clinching the series win.

After allowing two runs on two hits and two walks in the first inning, freshman Drew Whalen settled in on the mound and tossed 3.2 straight frames without allowing a run on one hit.

The Hilltopper bullpen continued the dominance on the rubber with just two hits finding fair ground the rest of the way. Junior Cal Higgins earned the winning decision after relieving Whalen in the fifth. The southpaw improves to 3-0 on the season out of the pen. The next 2.1 innings were owned by junior Grant Burleson. The right-hander fanned four Redhawks without surrendering a hit.

Juniors Cristian Garcia, Ethan Lizama, and Zayd Brannigan each tallied a pair of hits with an RBI. Senior Jaylin Rae also added an RBI on one hit.

The Redhawks scored two runs in the first with a sacrifice fly and an RBI single.

It took a few innings, but the Tops answered in the top of the fourth with a sacrifice fly from Brannigan and junior Austin Haller scoring on a Southeast Missouri error. Lizama bunted in a run in the top of the fifth to give WKU its first lead, 3-2.

In the eighth, Garcia launched a ball out of the yard for his first homer of the year before Rae doubled down the left line to score another. Haller and Rae tacked on two more by scoring on a couple of wild pitches.

Senior Mason Burns put the finishing touches on the mound with a scoreless ninth inning, allowing just one hit and one walk while striking out two.

UP NEXT

The Hilltoppers will be back in action on Tuesday for their first home midweek of the season against Southern Indiana. First pitch from Nick Denes Field is set for 4 p.m. CT.

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.