Western Kentucky’s Taylor Sanders broke the program’s career home run record in Sunday’s 11-0 win against Conference USA rival New Mexico State in Las Cruces, New Mexico.

Western Kentucky’s softball team defeated New Mexico State 11-0 in five innings to win its first Conference USA series on Sunday in Las Cruces, New Mexico.

WKU’s Taylor Sanders hit a three-run shot into left-center field to break the program’s career home run record with her 39th homer.

Sanders also went yard for a third-inning home run, the Hilltoppers’ 16th on the season. WKU picked up 13 hits at the NM State Softball Complex with four batters having multi-hit afternoons, including Morgan Sharpe, who was 3-for-4.

The Hilltoppers got going in the opening frame as Brylee Hage and Sharpe reached base on a walk and a single into left field. With two outs, Sanders homered on a full count to left-center field for her eighth home run this season.

After Sanders picked up the program record, Kelsey Schmidt hit a ball over the left field fence for a back-to-back solo home run and brought the score to a 4-0 WKU game after one inning.

After a quiet second inning on both sides, TJ Webster notched a single up the middle in the top of the third before Sanders hit her second home run of the day out into left field.

A 6-0 ballgame, WKU’s Sophie Weber doubled into right-center and Annie White earned her first career hit with a single up the middle to put two runners on. Sharpe collected her second hit of the day, a two-run double into left field in the bottom of the fourth.

The Hilltoppers wrapped up the runs in the top of the fifth. White added her first career RBI to the stat sheet with a sacrifice fly into left field before Sharpe capped off her three-hit day with a two-run single up the middle, totaling 11 runs for the Tops.

Katie Gardner pitched her third complete-game shutout of the season. She worked through all five innings, blanking NMSU on three hits. She only walked one.

The right-hander struck out five and now has 26 strikeouts in her past five appearances.

The Hilltoppers are back in action at the WKU Softball Complex on Wednesday against Eastern Kentucky. Game time is 6 p.m.{&end}