BOWLING GREEN, Ky. – WKU Baseball defeated Liberty 10-7 to clinch its fourth consecutive series win on Saturday at Nick Denes Field. The Hilltoppers improve to 28-12 (10-4 CUSA) while the Flames drop to 17-21 (9-5 CUSA).
With the victory, WKU is now in sole possession of first place in Conference USA and is the first team to reach double-digit wins in league play. The Hilltoppers 28-12 record marks the most wins the program has had through 40 games since 2009.
"We were lucky it was early in the game when they scored in the top of the third, but that took a lot of wind out of us," said head coach Marc Rardin. "We were struggling with Bosecker, Bimbi, and Heath. We were just struggling at that time. All those guys have been important to us at times. Today, pitching is just contagious like hitting and not in a good way sometimes. Early on, that's just how it was."
The Tops offense came alive with 12 hits in game two after a five-hit performance in game one. Junior Ethan Lizama drove in three runs with a two-hit day while junior Blake Cavill had two RBI in a 3-for-4 outing with one run scored. Sophomore Dylan O'Connell also had a pair of RBI with one hit and one run scored. Sophomore Camden Ross, junior Brady Browning, and senior Jaylin Rae each had one RBI to contribute the 10 runs WKU scored in the contest.
The WKU pitching staff posted five scoreless frames starting with senior Cory Bosecker registering two strikeouts through the first 2.0 innings without allowing a run. After giving up two runs a piece throughout the next three frames, freshman Drew Whalen entered and kept the Flames off the scoreboard for the next 2.0 innings while only allowing one hit. The Franklin, Tenn. native claimed his second winning-decision of the season to improve to 2-2.
Lizama put the Tops on the board in the first with an RBI double before a sacrifice fly from Cavill tacked on one more to make it 2-0.
WKU added to its lead in the second, scoring on a sacrifice bunt from O'Connell and an RBI walk from Ross with the bases loaded.
Liberty got two runs back with a two-run double in the third before tying the game in the fourth with a sacrifice fly and an RBI single.
The Flames took the lead in the fifth with an RBI double and an RBI single to put them ahead 6-4.
In the fifth, Browning cut the Tops deficit in half with an RBI single before Cavill tied the game with an RBI single in the sixth.
O'Connell gave WKU its second lead of the game with an RBI single in the seventh before Lizama scored two more with a single to left center, extending the Hilltopper lead to 9-6.
In the eighth, an RBI single from Liberty made it 9-7, but a sacrifice fly from Rae in the bottom of the frame put the Tops lead back to three at 10-7.
Senior Mason Burns sat down the side in the ninth to record his 11th save of the year, tied for the most in the country.
UP NEXT
The Hilltoppers and Flames will conclude their series tomorrow afternoon at Nick Denes Field. First pitch is set for 1 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 on Instagram.
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