BOWLING GREEN, Ky. – The Western Kentucky University baseball team rallied for three runs in the bottom of the fifth inning on Tuesday night to key a 6-2 victory over the visiting University of Evansville Purple Aces at Nick Denes Field in Bowling Green, Kentucky.  The win snapped UE’s eight-game road winning streak, which was the longest in Division I baseball entering the night.
“It was really tough to get any offensive consistency going tonight with it being a staff day and seeing eight different pitchers,†said UE head coach Wes Carroll.  “But, that’s college baseball sometimes.  We had our chances tonight, but just couldn’t break through.  We just need to put this one behind us and be ready to go this weekend in Carbondale against Southern Illinois.â€
Evansville scored first in the top of the second inning, as senior third baseman Brent Widder led off the inning with a double, advanced to third base on a WKU error, and scored on a wild pitch to give UE a 1-0 lead.
The game would remain 1-0 through four innings, as graduate starter Eric Roberts, making his first collegiate start and first pitching appearance of the year, tossed three scoreless innings of one-hit baseball, and senior reliever Jakob Meyer worked around a lead-off double to toss a scoreless fourth inning.  But, the Hilltoppers would rally against Meyer (0-2) in the fifth inning to take the lead for good.
WKU outfielder Andrew Delany roped a one-out double to right-center field to tie the game at 1-1.  Then, after a walk to lead-off man Ty Crittenberger, a failed pick-off attempt, and a stolen base put two runners in scoring position, catcher Kirk Liebert delivered a two-run single to grab a 3-1 lead.
Widder would blast a one-out, solo home run over the bullpen in left field in the top of the sixth inning to trim the WKU lead to 3-2.  But, the Hilltoppers would add a run in the bottom of the sixth inning without the use of a hit to push the lead to 4-2.
Evansville would threaten in the eighth inning by loading the bases against WKU closer C.J. Weins on two walks and a hit-by-pitch, but Weins would bounce back with a strikeout on a pay-off pitch to get out of the jam.  Then, WKU plated two runs in the bottom of the eighth inning on an RBI single by designated hitter Camden Ross and a throwing error on the play to produce the final margin of victory.
Widder had two of UE’s five hits with a double and home run.  Roberts also went 1-for-3 offensively with two walks.  Ross went 2-for-4 with a run scored and an RBI to lead the way for WKU.
With the victory, WKU evens its record at 17-17 overall.  Evansville, meanwhile, falls to 19-13 overall.  The two teams will meet again next Tuesday in Evansville to conclude the home-and-home non-conference series.  Prior to that match-up, though, Evansville will travel to Carbondale, Illinois to battle first-place Missouri Valley Conference rival Southern Illinois in a three-game set.  The series will begin Friday night at 6 p.m., with Sunday’s series finale set for national coverage on ESPNU.
