Three pitchers combined on a shutout and the Western Kentucky baseball team used a four-run sixth inning to break open a 1-0 game en route to a 5-0 win over Purdue to complete a three-game weekend sweep.

It was the fourth straight win for WKU, improving to 5-1 on the season. Purdue fell to 0-6.

Starting pitcher Matt Hightower set the tone for WKU early at Nick Denes Field, striking out the side in the first inning after allowing a one-out double to Alex Jaffee. In fact, Jaffee was the only Boilermaker to reach second base all day as Hilltopper pitching scattered four hits on the afternoon.

Hightower threw the first six innings, allowing just three hits and recording a career-high seven strikeouts as he improved to 2-0 on the season. Ben Paxton came in and allowed only one hit in two innings, and Garrie Krueger threw a scoreless ninth to finish off the combined shutout.

“I’m just really proud of the way our guys competed all weekend,” said Hilltopper head coach Chris Finwood, who has WKU off to a 5-1 start for the first time since 2003. “Our pitching really set the tone today. I thought Matt was just outstanding today, and our bullpen got the job done for us all weekend.”

WKU never trailed at any point the entire weekend, outscoring the Boilermakers 21-6 in the three games.

Offensively, Wells and Bracken each finished with two hits to pace the Hilltoppers. WKU collected 10 hits in the game, marking the fifth time in the first six games that it has reached double figures in the hit column.

WKU will host Lipscomb at 3 p.m. Tuesday.

Hilltopper softball

falls in Las Vegas

The Western Kentucky softball team lost its final game of the UNLV Eller Media Classic on Sunday to California, 7-2.

The Bears (14-8) closed the game in the fourth frame by tacking on four runs. Three straight singles from Taylor Kelly, Shannon Houston and Valerie Arioto each scored a run for California.

Erike Racklin and Gina Leomiti each collected RBI singles in the sixth inning to put the Bears up 7-1.

The lead was cut in the seventh when Elizabeth Ferrell reached and later scored on a Sara Williams single to center field.

Jennifer Kempf (2-5) took the loss after 3.2 innings of work. McCauley finished the contest 2-for-3 with a RBI, double and a triple.

WKU will be back on the field Wednesday when it heads to Clarksville, Tenn., to face Austin Peay in a double header beginning at 3 p.m.