WKU Earns Fifth Conference Series Win With Doubleheader Sweep of Miners

Friday, April 17

Bowling Green, Ky.

3 p.m. CT

Western Kentucky University

31-10, 3-16

University of Texas at El Paso

11-28, 13-6

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	Runs R	Hits H	Errors E
uTEP	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	2	3
WKU	3	1	0	1	0	4	9	8	0

Photo by: Liam Downie/WKU Athletics

WKU Earns Fifth Conference Series Win With Doubleheader Sweep of Miners

4/17/2026 11:13:00 PM | Softball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2

BOWLING GREEN, Ky. -- WKU Softball improved to 22-1 at home on Friday, taking Game One 9-0 and Game Two 7-1 against UTEP to earn their fifth series win of the season.

The Hilltoppers (32-10 overall, 14-6 CUSA) scored 16 runs on 15 hits thanks to three home runs in Game One a grand slam from Maci Masters in Game Two. In the circle, Erica Houge only allowed two hits in the first game against the Miners (11-29 overall, 3-17 CUSA) while Rylan Smith recorded 10 strikeouts in the second.

WKU 9, UTEP 0
HOW IT HAPPENED

Kendle White helped the Hilltoppers jump to an early lead with her fourth leadoff home run of the season.

With one run already on the board, Annie White doubled to left field and was brought in by Morgan Sharpe who reached on error.

Lauren Satterly scored the third run of the inning with a groundout to second base to score Sharpe.

A walk from Kendle White and a double from Jenna Blanton brought the Hilltoppers their fourth run of the day in the bottom of the second.

In the home half of the fourth, Annie White hit her 11th home run of the season with a solo shot to left center.

UTEP's only hits of the game came in the top of the fifth with two singles, but Houge and the WKU defense stranded the Miners on the base paths.
The bottom of the sixth was the biggest inning for WKU, scoring four total runs.

Two back-to-back walks for Kendle White and Blanton turned into a two-RBI at-bat for Annie White after singling to right center.

With the score at 7-0, the Tops earned their 10th run-rule win of the season thanks to a walk-off two-run home run from Sharpe.

WKU 7, UTEP 1
The Miners' only run of the day came from a solo home run to left center in the top of the fourth.

Two walks and a UTEP error loaded the bases in the top of the first, and Masters took care of business, sending her 14th home run of the season over the centerfield wall to grab a grand slam.

In the bottom of the third, back-to-back singles and a walk once again loaded the bases as Kennedy Stinson drew a bases-loaded walk to score the fifth run of the night.

Kendle White continued to capitalize on the fully loaded base paths with a double down the left field line to score the final two runs.

Smith kept UTEP at bay with strikeouts in every inning, highlighted by three straight strikeouts in the top of the second.

QUOTABLE
"I thought we did a great job on all three parts of the game today," said WKU Softball head coach, Amy Tudor. "We threw it well, we fielded it well, and obviously we hit the ball a long ways. I'm really proud of how we came out and I'm really proud that all of these fans came out to support us. So it was fun to play today."
"We're getting production all over the lineup, and I thought Erica and Rylan held it down well in the circle, so that's been great," said Tudor. "We've also had some good defensive plays, and I think fans come for the strikeouts and long balls, and we provided that today."

NOTABLES

All three of Maci Masters' grand slams have come in the first inning. Masters has previously hit grand slams in the first innings against Iowa and Mercer on Feb. 14.
Kendle White, Annie White, Morgan Sharpe, and Maci Masters hit four home runs across both games, bringing WKU's total to 55 on the season. Western Kentucky is now in the top 50 nationally in total home runs.
Rylan Smith posted her second game this season with double-digit strikeouts with 10. Smith collected a season-high 11 strikeouts in her no-hitter against MTSU on March 21.
Annie White's three RBI on Friday brings her total to 44 on the season. Her 44 RBI leads both the team and the conference. White is still ranked first in all of CUSA in on-base percentage with a .533.
Maci Masters inched closer to the single-season individual home run record with her 14th long ball on Friday.
Annie White and Maci Masters are the first two players to reach double-digit home runs. Kennedy Stinson and Kendle White are one home run away each with nine. WKU has never had more than two players in one season with double-digit home runs.
Every member of the starting nine recorded at least one hit across both games.
Annie White led the offense on Friday, going 4-for-6 through both games and totaling three RBI.