WKU Completes Series Sweep over LA Tech with Doubleheader Sweep

Sunday, May 4

Bowling Green, Ky.

10:00 AM CT

Western Kentucky University

37-10, 13-7

Louisiana Tech

27-19, 11-8

Louisiana Tech

WKU

Photo by: Steve Roberts/WKU Athletics

WKU Completes Series Sweep over LA Tech with Doubleheader Sweep

5/4/2025 7:02:00 PM | Baseball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2 Game 1 Box Score (PDF)Game 2 Box Score (PDF)

BOWLING GREEN, Ky. – WKU Baseball earned a doubleheader sweep to complete a three-game series sweep over Louisiana Tech on Sunday at Nick Denes Field, holding on in game one 5-4 before taking game two 22-12.

The sweep moves the Hilltoppers to 38-10 (14-7 CUSA) on the season and 29-1 at home – the most home wins in a single-season in program history.

GAME 1
• The Hilltoppers took a 2-0 lead in the second inning. Ethan Lizama hit a 408-foot triple to dead center to score the first run of the game before Austin Haller drove in another with an RBI groundout.
• Two more scored for WKU in the third. Ryan Wideman singled to tack on one before Lizama doubled to right-center for his second RBI of the day.
• Lizama continued his big game with a solo homer to left field that extended the Hilltopper lead to 5-0.
• LA Tech used a furious four-run rally to cut the deficit to one, but WKU was able to record the final out to secure the series win.

GAME 2
• The Bulldogs jumped out to a 7-0 lead in the top of the first. All seven runs were unearned.
• The Hilltoppers answered in a big way with 12 runs in the bottom of the first – their highest scoring inning of the season. Kyle Hayes drove in two with a single before Wideman scored on a wild pitch. Following that, Haller drove in Hayes with an RBI single, Joe Siervo walked with the bases loaded and Carlos Vasquez doubled home two more. Wideman made it double digits with a two-run single, Hayes doubled in another and Reid Howard got in on the action with an RBI single.
• Vasquez grounded out to score another in the second inning to make it 13-7.
• LA Tech used a two-run double to cut the WKU lead to 13-9 in the third.
• Camden Ross knocked in a run in the bottom of the frame with an RBI single.
• The Tops broke through again in the fifth, as four more runs came across. Haller doubled to score one before Siervo and Vasquez were issued free passes with the bases loaded. Wideman reached on a fielder's choice to make it 18-9.
• A solo homer from the Bulldogs made it 18-10 in the sixth.
• The Tops tacked on four more in the bottom of the frame, starting with back-to-back RBI doubles from Howard and Ross before an RBI single from Kyle Hvidsten added one on. Ross later scored on a wild pitch, putting the 22nd run on the board.
• LA Tech launched a pinch-hit, two-run homer in the seventh to make the final score 22-12.

NOTABLES
• WKU moves to 38-10 (14-7 CUSA) on the season and 22-32 all-time against Louisiana Tech (27-20, 11-9 CUSA). The 38 wins tie the 1999 and 2002 WKU squads for the sixth-most wins in a season and are the most in a season since 2009 (42).
• The Hilltoppers take a series from the Bulldogs for the first time since 2015 – the first season in CUSA for WKU. The Tops sweep LA Tech for the second time ever and the first time since 1996.
• WKU has swept all six doubleheaders this season.
• The Hilltoppers move to 29-1 at home in 2025 – the most home wins in a single-season for WKU. The previous record was 27, set by the 1988, 2002 and 2009 Hilltopper teams.
• WKU's 12 runs in the first inning of game two are the most in an inning this year, surpassing the Tops' 11-run fourth inning against Southern Indiana in a 13-9 win on April 8.
• Drew Whalen got the starting nod in game one. The right-hander tossed 3.0 scoreless innings while walking six and striking out two.
• Patrick Morris earned the win in relief while Cal Higgins collected the save. Morris surrendered three unearned runs in 3.0 innings with two strikeouts, three walks and one hit. Higgins gave up one unearned run in the final frame while fanning a pair.
• Gavin Perry got the start in game two. He conceded seven unearned runs in the first inning before being relieved by Taylor Penn. The freshman grabbed the win and worked 2.1 frames and gave up two unearned runs while striking out three.
• Zach Lyles went 4.0 innings to record the save – the longest outing of his career. He struck out a career-high five batters while giving up three runs on three hits and a walk.
• The Hilltopper offense produced 27 runs on 23 hits and 18 free passes with 24 RBI in the doubleheader.
• All nine starters had at least one RBI while eight of nine had two or more. All nine starters also recorded at least one hit while eight of nine had two or more.
• Lizama had three RBI in a 4-for-7 day with a home run, a triple, two doubles, four runs and a hit-by-pitch.
• Vasquez and Wideman had four RBI and three hits each. Vasquez had a double, a run scored and a hit-by-pitch while Wideman had two runs and two stolen bases. Wideman now sits alone for the second-most stolen bases in a single-season at WKU with 37.
• Hayes and Haller had essentially the same stat line with three RBI, two hits, a double, four runs scored, a walk and a hit-by-pitch.
• Howard and Siervo had two RBI each. Howard had three hits with a double, two runs scored and a walk. Siervo had a double and added three runs with three walks.
• Ross recorded three hits with two RBI, a double, three runs scored, a walk and a hit-by-pitch while Hvidsten had two hits with three runs, two walks and an RBI.

QUOTABLES
• "I think the big thing is when you do that is that it's first inning. We haven't even given up one of our outs yet. Is it what you want to do? Of course not. But it's the first inning so right when we came in it was about getting a couple guys on. We just need to change the tempo a little bit. So that's where it was. Right away, [Joe] Siervo walked and then [Carlos] Vasquez with a hit and then now we're talking about getting a run or two in that first inning and trying to make it like a five-run lead for them or something like that. That's all you're looking to do. Offense is all about momentum. They had all the momentum and then all of a sudden we get a walk, we get a hit, and it immediately, even though they got the 7-0 lead, momentum starts to shift. And then it didn't take them long to go to the bullpen. Momentum offensively is everything. That's just-that's the name of the game is the bats. The offense really dictates momentum in the dugouts." – Head Coach Marc Rardin on the 12-run first inning.

UP NEXT
• WKU continues CUSA play as the Hilltoppers hit the road for a three-game series at New Mexico State. First pitch from Presley Askew Field on Friday, May 9 is set for 7 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.