BOWLING GREEN, KY. – Western Kentucky pounded out 15 hits and scored multiple runs in the fourth and seventh innings as they handed Northern Illinois a 10-2 loss in the third game of a four-game set Saturday afternoon.

The Hilltoppers plated six runs on six hits in the fourth inning and took a commanding 7-2 lead en route to their fifth win of the season.

"It's been a couple of tough days, but we've been seeing some bright spots in every game," Huskies' head coach Mike Kunigonis said. "We need to keep working hard and battling."

NIU connected for five hits, but the Huskies stranded four runners on base. Their lone runs came in the third and fourth innings when Jake Dunham (Plainfield, Ill./Plainfield North) plated Brad Wood (Orland Park, Ill./St. Laurence) on an RBI lineout, and Tommy Washington (Chicago, Ill./Harlan) roped an RBI single up the middle, allowing Joe Jumonville (Munster, Ind./Munster) to score.

Junior Tanner Foster (St. Charles, Iowa/Southeastern Community College) suffered the loss on the mound for the Huskies as he worked three and two-thirds innings. He struck out three batters and walked two. Paul Kirkpatrick earned the win for WKU as he tossed six innings, giving up only four hits.

Washington led the Huskies' offense as he went 2 for 3 with an RBI. Wood, Samuel Vega (Vega Baja, Puerto Rico/Southwestern Junior College) and Dunham each had a hit for NIU, which fell to 2-4 on the year.

"We're a good team and we need to keep working," Kunigonis said. "We'll be ready to go tomorrow."

NIU closes out the series tomorrow with the final game at 1 p.m.

--NIU--