Tops Defeat Owls 4-1 to Even Series

Saturday, March 22

Kennesaw, Ga.

3:00 PM CT

Western Kentucky University

21-2, 1-1

Kennesaw State

9-14, 1-1

Western Kentucky

Kennesaw State

Photo by: Jack Todd, WKU Athletics

3/22/2025 7:15:00 PM | Baseball

Box Score Box Score (PDF)

MARIETTA, Ga. – WKU Baseball defeated Kennesaw State 4-1 to even the series on Saturday at S. Walter Kelly Sr. Memorial Field.

In what was a pitcher's duel, the Hilltoppers (21-2, 1-1 CUSA) top of the lineup came through offensively while the pitching staff held Kennesaw State (9-14, 1-1 CUSA) scoreless through eight innings to tie the three-game series and set up a winner-take-all rubber game tomorrow.

HOW IT HAPPENED
• A Ryan Wideman solo homer put the Tops in front in the first inning.
• Ethan Lizama sent one out over the right-center wall in the sixth to extend the WKU lead to 2-0.
• With the infield in, Carlos Vasquez punched one through the left side to give the Hilltoppers a 3-0 advantage in the eighth.
• Dylan O'Connell scored on a wild pitch in the top of the ninth to add some insurance.
• After shutting out the Owls for eight innings, Kennesaw State got on the board in the ninth with an RBI single. However, it would not be enough as WKU held on for the 4-1 win.

NOTABLES
• WKU moves to 21-2 and 1-1 in Conference USA play.
• The Hilltoppers are now 1-1 all-time against Kennesaw State.
• Drew Whalen got the starting nod on the mound today and earned his fifth win of the season in six starts to move to 5-0. The right-hander tossed 5.2 shutout frames and allowed three hits and four walks while striking out six.
• Treyson Peters and Evan Jones saw action out of the bullpen for WKU. Peters fanned two Owls in 2.0 scoreless innings. Jones earned the save – his fourth of the season – in the last 1.1 innings while surrendering one run on one hit and one walk.
• The WKU offense scored four runs on six hits and five walks with three RBI.
• Vasquez was the only Hilltopper with a multi-hit outing in a 2-for-4 effort with an RBI.
• Wideman and Lizama both hit solo homers. It was Wideman's sixth big fly of the year while Lizama hit his fifth of the season and 14th of his career.

QUOTABLE
• "Such a great pitched game by Drew [Whalen]. Even [Treyson] Peters pitched some big innings and then [Evan] Jones at the end. We needed that, obviously, after last night losing the opening game of the series. We just need to keep getting better offensively. We've left some runs on the board, probably should've been at least six 6-1, but that's the way it was. If we were going to get back in this series like we did, it had to be on the pitching side and that's what we got today." – Head Coach Marc Rardin on tying the series.

UP NEXT
• WKU and Kennesaw State will conclude the series tomorrow afternoon at S. Walter Kelly Sr. Memorial Field. First pitch is set for 12 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 X and @WKUBaseball on Instagram.