Western Kentucky sophomore catcher Kendall Smith (right) rounds third base after hitting a solo home run in the first inning against North Texas on Sunday at the WKU Softball Complex.

For the third straight game against North Texas, Western Kentucky’s softball team got a first-inning home run as Kendall Smith gave the Hilltoppers a lead they’d never relinquish before Shannon Plese made it back-to-back homers en route to an 8-0, five-inning, run-rule win over visiting North Texas on Sunday.

WKU’s Kelsey Aikey spun a one-hit shutout while racking up eight strikeouts on the day. Jordan Thomas also delivered a home run, marking her third straight game with one.

Sunday’s win over the Mean Green secured the Hilltoppers’ fourth series victory of the season as WKU improved to 29-9 overall and 12-3 in Conference USA action. North Texas dropped to 26-15 and 11-4 in league play.

WKU’s bats stayed hot as the Hilltoppers sent seven batters to the plate in the first. After two quick outs, Kennedy Sullivan drew a walk before Smith sent a 2-0 pitch toward the parking structure in left-center field for a 2-0 Hilltopper lead. Four pitches later, Plese homered to straight-away center for a 3-0 WKU lead.

With two outs again in the bottom of the second, Thomas connected with her third home run in as many games against the Mean Green to put the Hilltoppers up 4-0.

In the bottom of the fifth, Paige Carter was the first of eight WKU batters to make a plate appearance in the frame and opened things up with a base hit. Sullivan followed with a single, then Smith connected for a two-run single. Two batters later, Jordan Vorbrink dropped a double into the gap and Rebekah Engelhardt followed with an RBI fielder’s choice. Maddie Bowlds dropped an RBI base hit in down the left-field line to drive in the game-ending run.

Smith’s two-hit day was her second of the weekend and seventh of the season. Her four runs batted in were a career high for the sophomore.

Aikey earned the win in the circle with her third complete-game shutout of the season. With a line of one hit, zero runs, four walks and eight strikeouts, Aikey improved to 9-6 on the season and 5-2 in league play.

The Hilltoppers improved to 14-3 in games at the WKU Softball Complex this season the series-clinching win Sunday.

“This win today was for my mom, Cat,” WKU coach Amy Tudor said in a news release. “I want to say thank you to our team and their families for the outpouring of support and prayers over these last couple of days.”

Tudor’s mother was in a car accident Friday afternoon and is currently receiving medical attention in Nashville.

WKU will hit the road for a doubleheader Wednesday at Tennessee Tech, marking the first of five straight games on the road. The team will head to Murfreesboro, Tenn., for a Friday and Saturday series against Middle Tennessee following its midweek action.