BOWLING GREEN, Ky. – WKU broke things open with six runs in the seventh inning to clinch the weekend series with a 9-0 win over Sam Houston on Saturday afternoon at Nick Denes Field.

WKU (24-3, 3-2 CUSA) only led 3-0 when Bearkat (7-20, 1-4 CUSA) starter Ryan Peterson exited after the sixth inning, but the Hilltoppers pounced on the Bearkat bullpen for a six spot in the seventh to put the game away.  

Peterson was the hard-luck loser with all three runs allowed being unearned, thanks in part to a pair of errors in the field. The righty struck out four and walked only two in 6.0 frames, but fell to 1-6 on the season.  

The win went to WKU starter Drew Whalen who punched out a career-best 10 hitters in 6.2 innings to move to 6-0 on the year while scattering just three hits.  

The Kats trailed 1-0 after an inning but had a golden opportunity to get on the board when they loaded the bases with nobody out on the strength of hits from Addison Smith and Ryan Franden and a walk to Easton Dean; however, Whalen followed with three consecutive strikeouts to get out of the inning unscathed.  

It was the first of three times the Bearkats loaded the bases in the game, but the WKU pitchers were able to work around the threat each time, ultimately stranding a dozen Bearkats on the bases in the game. 

Franden accounted for three of the Bearkats' four hits in the game, his second 3-hit game in his last three outings.  

UP NEXT  
The Kats will look to get out of Bowling Green on with a win on Sunday in the series finale. The game is set for a 1:00 p.m. first pitch and will be aired on ESPN+.