Colie Currie’s two-out RBI triple in the seventh inning Sunday put Western Kentucky ahead. Then Ben Morrison and the bullpen held the lead for a 9-8 baseball victory at Charlotte.

WKU (21-26 overall, 11-13 Conference USA) and Alabama-Birmingham are tied for seventh in the Conference USA standings. The top eight squads from the 12-team league make this month’s conference tournament.

Luke Brown and Steven Kraft combined to go 7-for-10 with six runs scored at the top two spots in the Hilltopper lineup, and Jacob Rhinesmith went 2-for-3 with a home run and five RBIs.

Jacob Green retired the final two batters on eight pitches for his first career save.

Things got started early for the WKU bats, as Brown and Kraft led off the game with back-to-back singles. Rhinesmith drove in one run with a double to left-center, then Currie grounded home a second run as the Hilltoppers took a 2-0 lead in the top of the first.

Although the 49ers (27-20, 13-11) got one back in the bottom half off WKU starter Evan Acosta, third baseman Nick Brunson saved at least one run with a diving snag of a line drive with two outs and a pair of runners on base.

In the next frame, WKU scored four runs as back-to-back two-out singles by Brown and Kraft scored Brunson and set up Rhinesmith with another run-scoring opportunity.

The Shakopee, Minn., native Rhinesmith converted, lining a 2-1 pitch into the Charlotte bullpen in right field for his 13th homer of the season and second in as many games at Hayes Stadium.

Rhinesmith became the first C-USA player to reach 13 homers this season, and the first Hilltopper with at least that many since Ryan Huck hit 16 in 2013.

The 49ers responded with four runs in the third to knock Acosta out of the game, then another two in the fourth to take a 7-6 lead.

Brunson started a WKU rally with two outs in the sixth. On a 3-2 count against 49er reliever Carson Pinkney, the Champaign, Ill., native blasted his first career home run to tie the game at 7.

WKU faced a deficit once again after the bottom of the sixth and started with a leadoff single off Morrison by Harris Yett. Following a fielder’s choice, baserunner Drew Ober stole second, moved to third on a wild pitch and scored on a sacrifice fly.

Back came the Hilltoppers in the seventh, and once again Brown and Kraft started the rally with base hits.

With the runners in scoring position and no outs, Rhinesmith’s third sacrifice fly of the series scored Brown to tie the game. With two outs, Currie’s third triple of the year scored Kraft and put WKU ahead 9-8.

Morrison held the 49ers scoreless in the seventh and eighth.

After issuing a leadoff walk in the bottom of the ninth, coach John Pawlowski went to Austin Tibbs in relief. The lefty got one out, then the righty Green came in for the final two outs – a strikeout and a ground ball – to secure the victory.

With no midweek game due to finals, WKU’s next action will be a C-USA home series against Florida International. First pitch on Friday will be at noon, with game times at 1 p.m. on both Saturday and Sunday to follow.