Western Kentucky topped Liberty 4-3 to complete the Conference USA baseball series three-game sweep on Sunday afternoon at Worthington Field in Lynchburg, Virginia.

The No. 25 Hilltoppers (31-5 overall, 9-3 CUSA) scored all their runs in the second inning to take an early lead, while the pitching staff held the Flames (22-14, 5-7 CUSA) scoreless through seven frames.

Liberty was able to cut the Tops’ lead to one, but the WKU bullpen closed down the ninth to earn the 4-3 win.

With the victory, WKU coach Marc Rardin collected his 100th win at WKU in his 152nd game. He’s the second-fastest coach to 100 victories at WKU behind Joel Murrie, who won 100 of his first 135 games.

The Hilltoppers scored first for the third consecutive game with a four-spot in the second inning. Reid Howard dribbled a two-RBI double down the left-field line before scoring on a wild pitch later in the inning. Carlos Vasquez padded the lead with an RBI single to extend the WKU advantage to 4-0.

Liberty used a three-run homer to cut its deficit to 4-3 in the eighth inning.

Sophomore Drew Whalen got the starting nod on the mound and picked up his seventh win of the season to move to 7-1. The right-hander struck out six batters in six scoreless innings while allowing two hits and two walks.

Taylor Penn, Evan Jones and Cal Higgins saw action out of the bullpen. Penn retired the side in the seventh while striking out one Flame. Higgins claimed his second save of the weekend and fifth of the season in two innings of work. He surrendered one run on one hit with one strikeout.

WKU scored four runs on six hits with three RBIs.

Howard had two RBIs in a 1-for-3 outing with a double and a run scored.

Vasquez had an RBI in a 1-for-4 performance. Kyle Hayes went 1-for-4 with a double and a run scored. Henry Brown and Thomas Marsala added a run each.

WKU concludes the four-game road swing with a midweek contest at  No. 14 Louisville. First pitch from Jim Patterson Park in Louisville is set for 5 p.m. CT.