Tops rally past Governors for 6-4 win
Published 11:00 pm Wednesday, April 22, 2026
Western Kentucky senior Cael Frost signals to the dugout after reaching second base during the Hilltoppers’ 6-4 win against Austin Peay on Wednesday at Nick Denes Field. (LIAM DOWNIE/WKU Athletics)
Western Kentucky’s baseball team beat Austin Peay 6-4 on Wednesday night at Nick Denes Field.
Cael Frost paced the Hilltopper offense, matching a career best three hits, logging the go-ahead RBI in the seventh inning. Jacob O’Day earned the win on Wednesday in relief, tossing two scoreless innings while striking out five batters in the process.
Camden Ross doubled to lead off the Hilltopper second inning and a groundout moved the catcher over to third base. A wild pitch into the dirt allowed Ross to score and give WKU (22-20) the early lead with one out in the second.
The Governors (20-21) plated four runs on four hits in the fifth inning to take the lead.
In the bottom half of the frame, Austin Haller reached on an error and Hayden Robbins was hit by a pitch. Lane Arroyos then reached on a fielder’s choice which moved Haller over to third. Then, as a pinch hitter Daniel Stewart launched a 3-2 pitch over the right field wall for his sixth home run of the season to even the score at four all.
In the Hilltopper seventh a leadoff walk by Arroyos followed by a fielder’s choice and error put Stewart on as a wild pitch would move both into scoring position. Frost then logged his third hit of the day, this time a double down the left field line to clear the bases and give WKU the lead back at 6-4.
“The biggest thing about tonight was our guys responding to put us back in the game,” WKU coach Marc Rardin said in a news release. “In that seventh inning before we scored two runs, they weren’t able to turn a double play that extended the inning for us. Then Frost did a tremendous job of staying on a ball and going with it the other way for a double to score us a couple runs and give us the lead.”
WKU now leads the all-time series with the Governors 102-63-1 and 53-26-1 against Austin Peay in Bowling Green.
Gage Olsen started for the Hilltoppers on Wednesday. He finished with six strikeouts, allowing three runs (two earned) on three hits in 4 1/3 innings of work.
In relief the Hilltoppers used Ka’olu Holt, Bryson Vawter, O’Day, Zach Lyles, Sam Frizzi, Dawson Hall and Mick Uebelhor. O’Day earned his third win of 2026, tossing two innings and giving up no runs on no hits with five strikeouts. His five strikeouts mark a career best for the native of Bloomington, Illinois.
Frost paced the Hilltopper offense on Wednesday, going 3-for-4 with two RBIs and a double.
Stewart entered the game in the fifth inning and finished 1-for-2 with three RBIs and two runs. All three of Stewart’s RBIs came on a game-tying three-run home run in the fifth inning.
Arroyos went 1-for-2 with two runs and two walks.
JP Acosta had a two-hit day and finished up 2-for-4. Acosta has now recorded at least one hit in each of his last five games.
The Hilltoppers will host Kennesaw State for a three-game Conference USA series starting Friday. First pitch Friday from Nick Denes Field is slated for 6 p.m. and is set to be streamed on ESPN+ with audio on the Varsity Network.
