Western Kentucky’s offense came up empty Wednesday night with its postseason hopes on the line.

Middle Tennessee pitcher Kailey Ahlstrom shut out the Hilltoppers over seven innings, and her Blue Raiders beat WKU 1-0 in a Conference USA Tournament elimination game in Birmingham, Ala.

No. 6 seed MTSU (29-26) clinched a spot in the double-elimination portion of the bracket, set to begin Thursday. The No. 3 seed Toppers (37-13) failed to win a game at the conference tourney for the first time in their fourth trip to the event.

WKU went 18-6 in C-USA regular-season play and won an outright East Division title. Coach Amy Tudor’s squad swept the Blue Raiders over three games last month in Murfreesboro, Tenn., but couldn’t score Wednesday off Ahlstrom.

The freshman Ahlstrom limited the Hilltoppers to only one hit on the evening. That came on a fifth-inning leadoff single by left fielder Jordan Vorbrink.

WKU saw two first-inning hitters, Maddie Bowlds and Shannon Plese, reach base on a walk and a Middle Tennessee error, respectively. Both were later thrown out on the bases.

The Tops had a scoring chance in the bottom of the fourth. Second baseman Jordan Thomas led off with a walk and Bowlds then reached on a Blue Raider error, advancing Thomas to second.

Plese moved the runners into scoring position. Catcher Kendall Smith then tried to drop a bunt to score Thomas from third, but MTSU’s defense made the play and got Thomas at home.

Designated player Kennedy Sullivan then struck out with runners on first and third to end the inning.

Vorbrink’s single led off the fifth, and Tudor inserted Taylor Davis as a pinch runner. Paige Carter sacrifice bunted Davis to second, but neither Rebekah Engelhardt nor Morgan McElroy could drive her home.

The game remained scoreless into the seventh inning, when the Blue Raiders finally put a run on the board against WKU pitcher Kelsey Aikey.

A walk and two singles loaded the bases for Middle Tennessee with nobody out. One out later, the Blue Raiders’ Jocelynn De La Cruz dropped a perfect bunt single to score Summer Burgess from third and put underdog MTSU up 1-0.

Aikey got out of the jam without further damage, and her team took a one-run deficit into the bottom of the seventh.

Smith led off with a walk, and Jordan Ridge came in as a pinch runner. Sullivan dropped a sac bunt, moving Ridge to second base and into scoring position.

Ahlstrom got Vorbrink to pop out, then struck out Carter for the third out to seal the Blue Raiders’ 1-0 win.

Middle Tennessee’s Ahlstrom finished her night with five strikeouts against three walks, one hit and no runs. She needed only 77 pitches over her seven innings.

Aikey’s night was far more laborious, requiring 145 pitches over seven frames. The Hilltopper junior allowed one run, six hits and five walks while striking out 10.{&end}