Western Kentucky’s softball team claimed its conference-opening series over Middle Tennessee with a pair of victories Sunday in Murfreesboro, Tenn.

Brittany Vaughn’s three-run home run in the first game and two-RBI double in game two helped the Hilltoppers to wins of 6-4 and 2-0, respectively. The WKU pitching staff produced strong outings all weekend, allowing just four runs across the series.

The Hilltoppers are now 16-9 on the season and 3-0 in Conference USA. 

In the opener, WKU grabbed a 4-0 lead in the first inning. Brittany Vaughn sent her team-leading sixth home run of the season over the left-field wall, at three-run shot to give WKU a 3-0 lead. Kelsey McGuffin later added an RBI double.

In the top of the third, WKU’s Taylor Proctor hit an RBI double and Haylee Towers added a run-scoring single to boost the Tops’ lead to 6-2.

The Blue Raiders tacked on two more runs in the bottom of the sixth inning before Kelsey Aikey relieved Towers in the circle and stranded a pair of Blue Raiders on the base paths.

Towers earned the victory in the circle, finishing the day with 5.1 innings pitched and eight strikeouts. The freshman is now 5-5 on the season.

McGuffin went 3-for-3 on the day for her first multi-hit game on the year. Vaughn’s three-RBI day was her fifth multi-RBI game of the 2017 campaign.

In Game 2, WKU put up a pair of runs in the top of the sixth inning when Vaughn smacked a double to right-center field for two RBIs.

WKU senior pitcher Kathryn Downing earned the complete-game win. Downing is now 9-2 on the season and has six career complete-game shutouts and four this season. Downing carried a one-hitter into the sixth inning before the Blue Raiders tallied two more hits in the bottom of the sixth inning.

Kara Brewer knocked two of WKU’s four hits in the game in the Hilltoppers’ lead-off spot. Mauch and Vaughn accounted for the other two.

Spring break play resumes on Tuesday for WKU when the Hilltoppers open three straight days of play in Alabama with a single game at Samford. On Wednesday and Thursday, WKU will visit Jacksonville State and Alabama A&M, respectively.