Tops beat Bears 10-5 to avoid sweep
Published 5:51 pm Sunday, April 19, 2026
Western Kentucky junior Hayden Robbins awaits a pitch during the Hilltoppers’ 10-5 win against Missouri State on Sunday in Springfield, Missouri. (WILL GERBER/WKU Athletics)
Western Kentucky’s baseball team downed Missouri State 10-5 Sunday afternoon at Hammons Field in Columbia, Missouri.
Hayden Robbins highlighted WKU’s offensive attack on Sunday, finishing with three hits, five RBIs and two runs. Robbins knocked the go-ahead grand slam for WKU (20-20 overall, 7-11 Conference USA) as part of a five-run fifth inning. Lane Arroyos also finished with three hits alongside two runs.
After three scoreless innings, Robbins led off the Hilltopper fourth with a single and Lane Arroyos was hit by the pitch to put runners on first and second. With one out a groundout to the pitcher slid the runners over, both into scoring position at second and third for the two-out batting Cael Frost, who lifted a triple over the center fielder’s head to plate Robbins and Arroyos and give WKU a 2-0 lead.
With one on in the bottom of the fourth and no outs a Missouri State (26-11, 14-4 CUSA) line drive over the left-field wall evened the score at two.
The Bears added one more to take a 3-2 advantage into the fifth inning of play.
With one out in the WKU fifth, Manny Alberto doubled into the right center field gap. After the second out was recorded that moved Alberto to third, Robbins stepped in and on a full count, the right fielder managed an infield single to even the score again.
An RBI groundout later in the inning gave the Bears back the lead.
Back-to-back singles by JP Acosta and Frost followed by a five-point walk from Parker Coley loaded the bases with no out in the sixth. A fielder’s choice scored Acosta to get one run back, trailing 5-4 with one out. With two on and two out, Haller walked to load the bases again to bring in Robbins. On the fifth pitch of the at bat, Robbins sent a ball out over the right-field wall for a grand slam, the first for the team in over a year to give the Hilltoppers an 8-5 lead.
In the WKU eighth, Coley walked and made his way over to third base where Alberto singled through the infield to score Coley and extend the lead to four runs.
Arroyos started the ninth with a base hit. The next two plays moved Arroyos over to third, and an RBI groundout off the bat of Frost allowed Arroyos to scratch his second run of the afternoon and the 10th for WKU.
The Tops now hold a 2-3 all-time mark against Missouri State.
Jacob O’Day started on the mound for the Hilltoppers Sunday afternoon. Jude Favela, Zack Serup and Nathan Lawson were all used in relief. Lawson proved to be effective in relief, tossing four scoreless innings, allowing just two hits and one walk while striking out six Bears. For Lawson, six strikeouts are a season best and the most since he fanned seven while at EKU on May 16, 2025. With the performance, Lawson picked up his third save of 2026.
Robbins drove the offensive effort for WKU on Sunday, finishing 3-for-5 with five RBIs and two runs. Robbins hit the go-ahead grand slam in the sixth inning, marking the first since Ryan Wideman did so against SIU on March 11, 2025. Robbins has now hit a grand slam and an inside the park home run this season, both of which were in CUSA play. Robbins is the second Hilltopper to finish with five RBIs this season and the first since Hayes did so against FIU on March 13.
For Robbins, his five RBIs on Sunday mark a career best, passing his previous best four while at Morehead State.
Arroyos tabbed a 3-for-5 finish as well, adding two runs and a double in the effort.
Frost managed the second-most RBIs on Sunday, finishing 2-for-5 with three batted in and a run. Frost had the game’s lone triple.
Alberto also finished with two hits, with a 2-for-4 mark alongside a run, an RBI and a double.
Acosta recorded one hit in four at bats along with a run.
As a team, WKU has managed double-digit hits in each of the last three games and 10 or more runs in two of the last three.
The Hilltoppers ended Missouri State’s school-record 17 game home winning streak on Sunday, allowing five runs which are the fewest a team has allowed against the Bears all season.
The Hilltoppers will travel to Richmond to wrap up the five game road trip on Tuesday at Eastern Kentucky. First pitch from Earle Combs Stadium is set for 5 p.m. CT, streaming on ESPN+ with audio on the Varsity Network.
