Hayes Racks Up 6 RBI as #17 Tops Run-Rule Evansville

Tuesday, April 22

Bowling Green, Ky.

6:00 PM CT

Western Kentucky University

34-7

Evansville

13-26

Univ. of Evansville

WKU

Photo by: Steve Roberts/WKU Athletics

4/22/2025 10:01:00 PM | Baseball

Box Score Box Score (PDF)

BOWLING GREEN, Ky. – #17 WKU Baseball defeated Evansville 14-4 in eight innings on Tuesday night at Nick Denes Field.

Kyle Hayes totaled a career-high six RBI and homered for the fourth consecutive game while Ryan Wideman sealed the deal with a walk-off RBI double in the eighth inning for the run-rule win to sweep the season series over the Purple Aces.

HOW IT HAPPENED
• Hayes launched a three-run bomb over the left center wall to give WKU a 3-0 lead in the first inning.
• An RBI groundout from Joe Siervo tacked on another in the second.
• Hayes drove in a run in the third with a sacrifice fly to extend the lead to 5-0.
• The Tops plated four in the fourth to put the tally at 9-0. Camden Ross was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded before Ethan Lizama cleared the bases with a three-RBI triple.
• Two more RBI on a single from Hayes made it 11-0 in the fifth.
• A sacrifice fly from Henry Brown put the score at 12-0 in the sixth.
• The Purple Aces hit a grand slam to cut their deficit to 12-4 in the seventh.
• In the eighth, a wild pitch scored Caleb Niehaus before Wideman walked it off with an RBI double to clinch the 14-4 win.

NOTABLES
• WKU moves to 34-7 (11-4 CUSA) on the season and 42-34-2 all-time against Evansville (13-26, 8-8 MVC).
• With the win, the Hilltoppers sweep the season series against Evansville, winning both midweek matchups by a combined score of 27-7.
• WKU improves to 25-1 at home this season.
• This marks the seventh run-rule win of the season for the Hilltoppers.
• Gavin Perry got the start and earned the win on the mound. The right-hander tossed 3.0 shutout innings with two strikeouts while allowing just one hit. He moved to 3-1 on the season and lowered his ERA to 2.30.
• Patrick Morris, Taylor Penn, Elliott Rossell, Zach Lyles and Lucas Litteral saw action out of the bullpen. Morris worked 2.0 scoreless frames and struck out out three batters while Penn fanned two in a perfect inning. Lyles and Litteral each worked a shutout frame in the late stages.
• The WKU offense scored 14 runs on nine hits and 16 free passes with 13 RBI.
• Hayes led the way with six RBI in a 2-for-2 night with a home run, two runs and a hit-by-pitch.
• Lizama reached base three times in a 1-for-3 outing with a triple, three RBI, two walks and a run scored.
• Wideman scored four runs and got on base five times in a 1-for-2 night with a double, an RBI, two walks and two hit-by-pitches.
• Siervo, Ross and Brown had one RBI each. Siervo and Ross had a hit and an RBI a piece.
• Carlos Vasquez had a double and a run scored in a 2-for-4 performance while Niehaus went 2-for-3 with two runs scored.

UP NEXT
• WKU hits the road for more CUSA play this weekend at FIU in Miami, Fla. First pitch on Friday, April 25 from FIU Baseball Stadium is set for 5:30 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.