MURFREESBORO, Tenn. — Middle Tennessee pitcher Kenneth Roberts made sure Western Kentucky would have to wait at least one more day to clinch the regular-season Sun Belt Conference championship.

Roberts kept the Hilltoppers scoreless Thursday until the ninth inning, when WKU plated four way-too-late runs in a 10-4 loss at Middle Tennessee.

The Hilltoppers failed in their first opportunity to win the program’s first Sun Belt Conference championship and saw their lead shrink to one game over MTSU (37-15 overall, 20-8 SBC).

But WKU (37-15, 21-7) can still win the title with a victory in Game 2 at 6 p.m. tonight or in Saturday’s regular-season finale.

“I thought we played a little bit tight tonight and we talked about that,” WKU coach Chris Finwood said. “They played loose and we didn’t. That’s a shame because we’re right there. We need to come out and get that one (tonight).”

Roberts allowed only one run – a solo home run to Wade Gaynor to lead off the ninth inning – over eight-plus innings and scattered seven hits. WKU then got to the Blue Raiders’ bullpen as Matt Rice clobbered a two-run homer and Matt Payton singled in Jared Andreoli.

But WKU did little before that and grounded into five double plays.

“Seemed like we grounded into 10,” Finwood deadpanned.

Added Rice: “We just didn’t play well tonight all the way around. We battled back at the end, which is good. But they got a bunch of breaks, we didn’t get anything going our way and we just didn’t get anything started.”

The night also included a scary moment, when freshman center fielder Kes Carter suffered facial injuries after crashing into an outfield wall while trying to chase down Rawley Bishop’s fly ball in the fourth inning. Bishop’s hit turned into a two-run, inside-the-park home run and a 2-0 MTSU lead.

Carter laid on the field for several minutes while being attended to before walking off the field and holding a towel on his face. He was taken to a local hospital, and Finwood said Carter suffered a fractured nose and had some loose teeth.

“Everything was bleeding,” Finwood said. “His nose was bleeding. His face just looked a mess. He’s just a tough kid.

“He’s going to be OK. He won’t be back for this series, obviously. Hopefully he’ll be back for the (Sun Belt) tournament.”

Carter nearly made the play as he reached out for the fly ball, but it was apparently jarred out of his glove as he hit the wall and Bishop and Bryce Brentz scored easily.

“I hate that it happened for him and we just have to move on,” said WKU’s losing pitcher Matt Hightower. “We don’t know if he’s going to be with us. We hope that he gets better and back to us quickly. I appreciate the effort and I can’t thank him enough for it.”

Hightower went six-plus innings and gave up seven earned runs on 10 hits and two walks. Brentz, who was 3-for-4 and entered with a robust .473 average, crushed a solo home run in the fifth inning for a 3-0 MTSU lead. MTSU then broke it open with a six-run seventh inning.

The Blue Raiders sent 11 different players to the plate and Hightower left after allowing the first four runners to reach base.

“Give (Roberts) credit, he threw really well. And he was better than me tonight,” Hightower said. “I honestly thought I threw fairly well. They found some good hits in holes. (I made) about two mistakes – one to Rawley and one to Brentz. They made me pay for it.”

Hightower was one of four different pitchers WKU used in the inning as Blake McDade had a two-run single and Drew Robertson hit a two-run double to cap the scoring.

“The six spot, if we don’t give that up, it’s a ballgame,” Finwood said. “I was proud of how we didn’t give up and came back and got four in the ninth. That’s some momentum to carry over into tomorrow.

“But it’s just their night. They beat us. They played better than we did. They’re a good club.”

Not only did the Hilltoppers see their standings lead shrink on Thursday, they suffered their third consecutive loss for the first time this season.

Finwood doesn’t think that will be a factor in tonight’s contest.

“The good thing about baseball is one game doesn’t necessarily lead into the next,” Finwood said. “We got our best guy (pitcher Matt Ridings) going (tonight) and hopefully he can get it done for us.”