WKU Baseball earned its fourth Conference USA sweep of the season against New Mexico State this weekend.
The Hilltoppers improved to 17-7 in CUSA play and moved up to second in the standings.
The series marked a bounce-back series for starting pitchers. Junior Jack Bennett started game one, going four innings and holding the Aggies to four hits, two runs, while striking out three. Sophomore Drew Whalen started game two, going five innings, keeping NMSU to five hits, two runs, while striking out two.
The Hilltoppers scored 41 runs across the series, the most the team has scored in a CUSA series this season. WKU hit 13 home runs throughout the series.
Senior Austin Haller went 5-for-12 with nine RBIs and three home runs. Senior Ethan Lizama went 7-for-15 with six RBIs and two home runs.
Game 1
NSMU got out to a quick start in the first inning with a two-run home run from sophomore infielder Steve Solorzano, giving the Aggies a 2-0 lead.
WKU tied the game in the second inning with runs coming from an RBI single by freshman shortstop Reid Howard and Joe Siervo coming in to score off a fielder’s choice.
Junior catcher Camden Ross brought a runner home with a single to left field, and senior infielder Austin Haller hit a three-run home run extending the Hilltoppers lead to 6-2 in the third inning.
Redshirt junior infielder Carlos Vasquez hit a solo home run in the fourth inning extending WKU’s lead to 7-2.
Senior outfielder Ethan Lizama hit a two-run home run in the sixth inning, and junior outfielder Ryan Wideman hit a two-run home run in the seventh inning, making the game 11-2.
The Aggies got a run back in the ninth inning with an RBI single from senior infielder Gianni Horvat, but couldn’t find any more runs, ending the game 11-3.
Game 2
WKU got a quick run in the first inning off a solo home run by Siervo to take a 1-0 lead.
NSMU tied the game in the second inning off a sacrifice groundout to third by Solorzano, making the score 1-1.
After a scoreless second inning, the Hilltoppers bounced back with a six-run third inning. Lizama brought in two runs with a double down the right field line, followed by an RBI bunt from Haller. Junior utility player Kyle Hvidsten hit a three-run home run to left field, making the game 7-1.
The Hilltoppers extended their lead in the fourth inning with an RBI triple by senior infielder Kyle Hayes, making the game 8-1.
In the fifth inning, a sac fly by Wideman made the game 9-1.
The Aggies got a run back in the fifth inning with a solo home run by junior infielder Camden Kaufman, making the game 9-2.
The Hilltoppers had a 10-run sixth inning. Wideman started the surge with an RBI single to right field, followed by a three-run homer from Hayes. Howard continued the inning with an RBI single, and Haller followed with a three-run homer. Hvidsten hit a solo home run, and Wideman brought in the last run of the inning with a single to left field, making the game 19-2.
NMSU got a run back with a sacrifice groundout by Solorzano, but couldn’t stop the run rule from taking effect, ending the game 19-3.
Game 3
NMSU scored first in the second inning with a solo home run by freshman infielder Boston Vest, making the game 1-0.
WKU tied the game in the third inning with a solo home run by Haller making the game 1-1.
The Aggies took the lead back in the bottom of the third with an RBI single by junior utility player Mitch Namie, giving NSMU a 2-1 lead.
The Hilltoppers tied the game back up in the fourth inning with a solo home run by Vasquez.
WKU had a six-run sixth inning that started with a two-run home run by Hayes. The inning continued with an RBI single by Haller, followed by a three-RBI double from junior infielder Dalton Fiveash to make the game 8-2.
With bases loaded, sophomore infielder Brandon Forrester was hit by a pitch, followed by an infielder’s choice, cutting the Aggies’ deficit to 8-4.
Lizama hit a sacrifice groundout to score Wideman in the seventh inning and gave WKU a 9-2 lead.
Wideman hit a sac fly in the eighth to make the game 10-2.
NMSU got a run back in the eighth inning with a sac fly by Namie, cutting WKU’s lead to 10-3.
The Hilltoppers added a run in the ninth inning with a solo home run from Lizama.
The Aggies left bases loaded in the bottom of the ninth, giving WKU an 11-3 lead.
WKU Baseball returns to Nick Denes next weekend, May 16-18, against Jax State for the last CUSA series of the season.
Sports Reporter David Quintanilla can be reached at [email protected].
