Tops run-rule Bearkats to sweep series

Published 5:55 pm Sunday, March 30, 2025

By The Daily News

Western Kentucky run-ruled Sam Houston 11-1 in eight innings to complete the baseball sweep on Sunday afternoon at Nick Denes Field.

The Hilltoppers (25-3 overall, 4-2 Conference USA) move to 5-1 all-time against the Bearkats (7-21, 1-5 CUSA) and 21-0 at home in the 2025 season.

WKU gets its first conference sweep of the season – 21 of the Tops’ 25 wins have come at Nick Denes Field. This is the first time the Hilltoppers have started 21-0 at home in program history.

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The Hilltopper pitching staff allowed just one run over the three-game series, marking the first time WKU has held its opponent to one run or fewer over a three-game stretch since the 1982 season when the Tops recorded three consecutive shutouts in a doubleheader against Indiana Southeast and against Cleveland State in March.

The Hilltoppers drove in four runs in the first inning with a two-RBI single from Ryan Wideman and a two-run home run from Kyle Hayes.

Two more runs came across in the second frame for WKU as Thomas Marsala singled up the middle for an RBI before Carlos Vasquez extended the lead to 6-0, scoring on a failed pickoff attempt.

Sam Houston scored its first run of the weekend on a sacrifice bunt in the fourth inning.

Ethan Lizama powered his sixth home run of the season over the wall – a two-run shot to left center – to pad the Tops’ lead to 8-1.

Three more scored for WKU in the eighth as Marsala doubled to score the first run of the inning before Lizama singled to score another. A passed ball scored Hayes to reach the run rule and give the Tops the 11-1 win.

Dawson Hall got the starting nod for the first time this season and improved his record to 3-0. The Bowling Green native tossed three shutout innings and fanned five Bearkats in his longest outing of the season.

Gavin Perry, Treyson Peters and Cal Higgins saw action out of the bullpen for WKU. Perry claimed one strikeout in 2 2/3 frames while surrendering one run on three hits and a walk. Peters and Higgins combined for 2 1/3 scoreless innings and two hits allowed.

WKU scored eight runs on 12 hits and three walks with seven RBIs.

Wideman led the squad with a 3-for-5 outing, two RBIs, two runs, a double and a stolen base.

Lizama had three RBIs in a 2-for-4 day with a home run, two runs scored, a walk and a stolen base.

Marsala and Hayes each had 2-for-4 performances with two RBIs. Marsala scored two runs with a walk while Hayes went yard with a run scored.

Vasquez was 2-for-4 with two runs scored and a double.

“It’s always a good start,” WKU coach Marc Rardin said in a news release. “Any time (Carlos) Vasquez gets going like he did just starting off. He’s just always kind of been that ignitor for us. He starts off right away with that double and just gets us going from there.”

WKU will begin a four-game road swing starting Tuesday at Vanderbilt. First pitch from Hawkins Field in Nashville is set for 6 p.m.

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