Western Kentucky’s baseball team split its doubleheader against Middle Tennessee on Saturday afternoon at Nick Denes Field.

The Hilltoppers dropped game one, 3-0, before bouncing back for a 5-4 victory in game two.

“I thought we pitched well in both games,” WKU coach John Pawlowski said in a news release. “Sean (Bergeron) gave us seven innings and didn’t walk anyone, then Devyn (Terbrak) and Mason (Vinyard) had to make some big pitches there at the end to finish this thing off. I think we walked one guy all day, much better than we did yesterday.”

Bergeron earned the starting nod in game one of the doubleheader, tossing a complete game while allowing just three runs and striking out a pair over seven innings.

The Hilltoppers struggled at the plate in the opener, needing singles by Ray Zuberer III and Jackson Gray to break up a no-hitter in the bottom of the seventh.

Terbrak recorded the start in game two, tallying his second win of the season after surrendering four runs while striking out four in 6 2/3 frames. Vinyard picked up the save in the contest, entering in the top of the seventh to record the last out for the Hilltoppers.

Offensively, WKU racked up nine hits and four walks in the game. Justin Carlin led the way with the squad’s lone multi-hit performance, going 2-for-4 with two runs and one long ball.

In the first game, Middle Tennessee opened the scoring with a two-run homer in the first frame.

The Blue Raiders extended their lead in the top of the third, using an RBI single to take a 3-0 advantage they would never relinquish.

The Blue Raiders again opened the scoring in game two, as an RBI single to left center gave them a 1-0 lead in the top of the first.

WKU answered back in the bottom of the inning, as a solo shot by Carlin knotted the score at one apiece.

The Hilltoppers took their first lead of the game in the bottom of the third, as Gray cranked a home run over the right-field wall to make it 2-1.

WKU tacked on three more runs in the fifth frame, with Zuberer scoring from third on a wild pitch and Matthew Meyer ripping a two-RBI single through the left side to put the score at 5-2.

Middle Tennessee later used a solo shot to make it 5-3 in the top of the sixth.

The Blue Raiders made things interesting in the seventh, scoring two in the frame to make it a one-run game, but the Hilltoppers managed to hold on for the 5-4 victory.

The Tops will close out their series against the Blue Raiders at 1 p.m. Sunday at Denes Field.