Vasquez Delivers Walk-Off Winner as Hilltoppers Edge Louisiana Tech, 9-8

Friday, May 2

Bowling Green, Ky.

7:00 PM CT

Western Kentucky University

36-10, 12-7

Louisiana Tech

27-18, 11-7

Louisiana Tech

WKU

Photo by: Steve Roberts/WKU Athletics

Vasquez Delivers Walk-Off Winner as Hilltoppers Edge Louisiana Tech, 9-8

5/3/2025 12:33:00 AM | Baseball

Box Score Box Score (PDF)

BOWLING GREEN, Ky. – WKU Baseball opened its pivotal Conference USA series with a thrilling 9-8 victory over Louisiana Tech on Friday evening at Nick Denes Field.

The Hilltoppers (36-10, 12-7 CUSA) rode a 13-hit offensive attack and timely pitching to fend off a late Bulldogs rally, improving to 27-1 at home and notching their 36th win of the season. 27 wins at home tie the 1988, 2002 and 2009 WKU squads for the most home wins in a single-season.

HOW IT HAPPENED
• WKU jumped out early with a three-run homer from Ryan Wideman.
• The Bulldogs evened the score at 3-3 in the second inning. An RBI double scored one before back-to-back RBI groundouts tied the game.
• The Hilltoppers retook the lead 6-3 in the second. Carlos Vasquez singled home a run before Kyle Hayes drove in a pair with a two-RBI double.
• A solo homer in the third cut the LA Tech deficit to two.
• WKU extended its lead to 8-4 in the sixth. Wideman took a hit-by-pitch with the bases loaded before Hayes grounded out to bring in another.
• Four runs scored for LA Tech in the eighth to tie the game. Two wild pitches scored a couple before a two-RBI single knotted the score, 8-8.
• Vasquez doubled to right-center in the bottom of the ninth to score the game-winning run for the 9-8 walk-off win.

NOTABLES
• WKU moves to 36-10 (12-7 CUSA) on the season and 20-32 all-time against Louisiana Tech (27-18, 11-7 CUSA).
• The Hilltoppers move to 27-1 at home in 2025, tying the 1988, 2002 and 2009 Hilltopper teams for the most home wins in a single-season in program history (27).
• This marks the fourth walk-off win for WKU this season and the second by Vasquez.
• Jack Bennett started and worked 5.0 innings, allowing four runs on four hits with two strikeouts.
• Lucas Hartman and Cal Higgins combined to finish the final four innings, with Higgins earning the win after 1.2 scoreless frames and three strikeouts to improve to 1-2 on the season.
• The Hilltopper offense produced nine runs on 13 hits and nine free passes with nine RBI.
• Wideman totaled four RBI in a 1-for-3 outing with a three-run home run, two hit-by-pitches and two runs scored.
• Vasquez was the only Hilltopper with a trio of hits – his eighth three-hit game of the season – in a 3-for-5 night at the plate with a double, two RBI, two runs scored and a walk.
• Hayes had three RBI with a two-RBI double and a stolen base in a 1-for-4 performance.
• Camden Ross, Austin Haller and Reid Howard tallied multi-hit efforts. Ross reached base four times while Howard added a walk and a run scored.
• Kyle Hvidsten checked into the ninth inning and had a crucial hit before scoring the game-winning run.

QUOTABLES
• "I mean we came out and it was awesome. Then, LA Tech being LA Tech and who they are overall, but who they've been this year. You look at their stats and they're very average stats. Just everything about them, very average. But then they're 27-18 and 11-7 overall. They kind of have that intestinal fortitude, that toughness of them. This what they've been doing. They're going to grind it out and they almost have like literal fight in them. Like they'll want to fight you, but, I think where we're taking this is, you know, we take that gut punch in the eighth and it's just the weekend we're at home and in baseball someone's got to be at home and it's those last three outs, the toughest thing to get is those three outs."

UP NEXT
• WKU and Louisiana Tech continue the series tomorrow afternoon at Nick Denes Field. First pitch 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 X and @WKUBaseball on Instagram.