WKU baseball opens CUSA play with run-rule victory, defeats FIU 15-4

BOWLING GREEN, Ky. – WKU Baseball (10-8, 1-0 CUSA) defeated FIU (7-12, 0-1 CUSA) 15-4 in seven innings Friday night at Nick Denes Field.

The Hilltoppers managed a season high 15 runs on 13 hits, including a season high four home runs. Camden Ross scored five runs on Friday, tying a single-game program record. Kyle Hayes had a game high three hits in the win.

HOW IT HAPPENED

• FIU put two runners on with one out in the top of the first but Gavin Perry struck out back-to-back batters to end the frame.
• In the bottom half of the inning, Camden Ross reached on a base hit to the Panther third baseman.
• Kyle Hayes followed Ross and on a 1-0 count Hayes launched his fourth home run of the season to left field to give WKU a 2-0 lead.
• In the top of the second, FIU responded with a one-out solo home run to make it a 2-1 ballgame.
• The Hilltoppers got that run back with a two-out bases-loaded RBI walk from Lane Arroyos. Hayes followed and drove a ball into left center field, plating two runs for a 5-1 Hilltopper advantage.
• FIU brought in a new pitcher in the bottom of the third and Daniel Stewart roped one over the left field fence for his fourth home run of the year and a 6-1 WKU lead.
• FIU managed the run back with a two-out double into left field to make it a 6-2 game.
• In the bottom of the fourth Austin Haller hit his first home run of the year. Ross knocked his second hit of the day with a base-hit to right center field and Arroyos launched the fourth home run of the game for WKU for a 9-2 advantage.
• With runners on first and second JP Acosta and Manny Alberto successfully managed a double steal. Parker Coley laced a ball to the FIU second baseman and he couldn’t corral it as Coley reached and Alberto and Acosta scored to give the Hilltoppers an 11-2 lead.
• The Panthers plated two runs in the top of the fifth to make it a seven run game.
• The Hilltoppers got two runners on with no outs in the bottom of the frame and the second double steal for WKU put Haller and Ross on second and third into scoring position. Hayes then walked on five pitches to load the bases.
• Alberto then reached on a fielding error and Haller scored.
• Acosta then laid down a bunt that sat inside the line to reach on an RBI base hit to make it a 13-4 Hilltopper lead with one out in the fifth.
• WKU extended the lead to 10 as Stewart reached on a fielder’s choice and Hayes scored from third and WKU would take a 14-4 lead into the sixth inning.
• With two outs in the sixth, WKU added to its lead as Kyle Hayes drove in Ross for his fifth RBI of the game.
• Mick Uebelhor would strike out his last three batters for a 15-4 run-rule win to open conference play.

NOTABLES

• With the win WKU improves to 10-8 (1-0 CUSA) on the year and 10-7 at Nick Denes Field.
• Gavin Perry started on the mound for the Hilltoppers on Friday night. Perry tossed 4.2 innings and had a career high seven strikeouts en route to his second win of the season.
• Mick Uebelhor was the lone reliever for the Hilltoppers, tossing six strikeouts and no hits in 2.1 innings to close out the win for WKU and earn his first save.
• For Uebelhor, his seven strikeouts break his previous career best of five set against Indiana State on March 6.
• Camden Ross went 2-for-2 and scored five runs along with two walks.
• With his five runs, Ross clears his previous best of three runs last done against Louisiana Tech on May 4, 2025.
• The five runs for Ross on Friday also tied a single-game program record for WKU. The others were Jake Sanford against FIU in a 15-1 run-rule win on March 24, 2019 and Austin Haller against SIU in a 21-2 run-rule win on March 11, 2025.
• Kyle Hayes had a 3-for-4 game and knocked in five RBIs and hit his fourth home run of the season.
• The three hits for Hayes on Friday match his career best last met on April 18, 2025 against Middle Tennessee.
• Hayes is the first Hilltopper to plate five RBIs since Ethan Lizama did so against New Mexico State on May 21, 2025 in the CUSA Tournament.
• Austin Haller went 2-for-5 and hit his first home run of the season, marking his first ever home run at Nick Denes Field.
• Haller stole two bases on Friday night, matching both a season and career high.
• As a team WKU stole five bases, marking the third time this season the Hilltoppers have recorded five or more in a game.
• Lane Arroyos went 2-for-4 with three RBIs and hit his fourth home run of the year.
• Daniel Stewart added a home run on a 1-for-3 night at the plate.
• WKU’s four home runs Friday night mark the most since they hit five on May 24, 2025 in a 10-2 win over Kennesaw State.
• Friday was WKU’s first win in a Conference USA opener since the 2022 season when they defeated Charlotte 7-5.
• Friday marked the second time WKU has had a run rule victory over FIU with the other being a 14-4 win in eight innings on March 23, 2024 in Bowling Green.
• WKU’s 15 runs Friday are a season high and the most since they plated 19 against New Mexico State on May 10, 2025.

QUOTABLE

On the win and pitching performance head coach Marc Rardin said, “Gavin and Mick have been a dynamic duo on Fridays. Beating Power-Four opponents throughout these first four weekends and doing a good job against them prepared them to perform well tonight.”

On the offense Rardin said, ‘Offensively, we took the freebies, extended innings, extended at bats, didn’t chase a lot, and did a really good job working the middle and working away with our approach and ended up having some good at bats.”

NEXT UP

The Hilltoppers will host FIU for game two of the three game set on Saturday, March 14. First pitch is set for 4 p.m.