BOWLING GREEN, Ky. — WKU plated two runs with two outs in the bottom of the ninth to erase a 4-2 deficit and force extra innings, and
Blake Crabtree's first career hit sent WKU past Tennessee, 5-4, in the bottom of the 10th. The win snaps WKU's two-game losing streak to Tennessee and moves the team's record to 9-3. Tennessee falls to 6-6 with the loss.
A two-out RBI double by
Kes Carter, his third hit of the game, brought the Hilltoppers within one run in the bottom of the ninth, and
Matt Borgschulte drew a bases-loaded walk to tie the game at four.
Rye Davis entered the game and mowed down the Volunteers in the top of the 10th, and the Hilltoppers loaded the bases with no outs in the home-half off a pair of Tennessee relief pitchers. Crabtree, who entered the game as a defensive replacement in the top of the 10th, knocked a single into right-center with the bases loaded for his first career hit and the WKU game-winner, scoring
Kory Petri.
It was WKU's first walk-off win since beating UALR, 6-5, on May 2, 2009. Carter's three hits paced the WKU offense, and
Matt Payton was 1-for-5 to extend his career-long hitting streak to 10 games.
Davis earned his first win of the year in his seventh appearance out of the bullpen, and Adam Adkins took the loss for Tennessee.
Up Next: WKU travels to Mississippi State to face its second-straight Southeastern Conference foe Wednesday afternoon. First pitch is scheduled for 4:00 PM. From there, the Hilltoppers continue on to New Orleans to open up Sun Belt Conference play against the Privateers with the first game of a three-game set on Friday.
