Box Score BOWLING GREEN, Ky. ? The UALR baseball team (14-29, 5-16) hit three home runs in the top of the eighth to take a 5-2 lead, but WKU (34-12, 18-5) scored two in the bottom half and plated the game-winning run in the bottom of the ninth to hand the Trojans a 6-5 loss.
After going scoreless for the first seven innings, the Trojans hit three homers in the top of the eighth to go on top 5-2. Freshman Brandon Welch and junior Nate Brown got things going for UALR by opening the frame with back-to-back solo homers. Welch's blast was the first of his collegiate career, while Brown's homer was his seventh of the year. Junior Landis Wilson followed four batters later with his second homer of the season ? a three-run shot to left.
WKU answered in the bottom half, capitalizing on a Trojan throwing error to score two unearned runs and tie the game at 5-all. With two runners on and two outs, Terrence Dayleg hit a two-run double to center to tie things up.
Reliever J.B. Paxson pitched a scoreless ninth for WKU, and Kes Carter gave the Hilltoppers a spark in the bottom half with a leadoff single through the right side. Carter moved into scoring position on a sac bunt by Jake Wells, and came around to score the winning run on a walk-off single to left center by Jared Andreoli.
The Trojans outhit WKU 10-to-7 on Saturday, led by a 3-for-5 effort from junior Tim Emmons. Carter and Andreoli totaled two hits a piece to lead the way for the Hilltoppers.
WKU starter Matt Ridings ended up with a no decision despite fanning 11 Trojans over 7.0 innings of work. Ridings surrendered seven hits, no walks and four runs (three earned) during his outing, but Paxson (3-0) got the win after pitching a scoreless ninth.
UALR got a solid outing from junior Anthony Pryor, who held the Hilltoppers to four hits and four runs (one earned) over 7.1 innings of work. Junior reliever JR Boling (2-1) came on for Pryor in the eighth and wound up taking his first loss of the season after allowing three hits and two runs (one earned) over the final 1.0
The two teams close out the three-game Sun Belt Conference series Sunday afternoon at 1 p.m.
