BOWLING GREEN, Ky. – Trent Bowles set a program record and tied Conference USA's single-game mark with four doubles to lead UTSA to a 10-4 victory over Western Kentucky on Friday at Nick Denes Field.
Bowles, who tied the school mark with three doubles against Marshall last Sunday, was 4 for 5 and scored three runs to help the Roadrunners (14-10, 5-2 C-USA) to their seventh consecutive win. The senior outfielder doubled in the first, third, fourth and eighth innings.
UTSA received another strong performance on the mound from a pair of hurlers.
Steven Dressler (4-1) logged his fifth quality start of the season en route to the win. The left-handed started allowed three runs (two earned) on four hits. He also walked three and tied a career high with seven strikeouts. It also marked the second consecutive game the Burlington, Ontario, native matched his career best.
Dressler's performance was followed up by Palmer Wenzel's season-high seven strikeouts in only 2.2 stanzas. The side-winding righty fanned one in the seventh, three in the eighth and three more in the ninth to close out the contest and clinch the series victory for the Birds.
The Hilltoppers (13-14, 3-5 C-USA) jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the first inning.
Dressler walked back-to-back hitters to begin the game. After a double steal, Richard Constantine hit a sacrifice fly to right field, allowing Steven Kraft to cross the plate.
UTSA responded with two runs in the second, four in the third and two more in the fourth to take an 8-1 advantage.
The Roadrunners' four-run third was highlighted by back-to-back home runs by Ben Brookover and Chase Keng.
Brookover, who homered in his second consecutive game, hit a three-run shot to left. On the ensuing pitch, Keng blasted his first career round-tripper over the wall in right field.
Keng also drove in a run in the two-run fourth on a single through the right side of the infield.
UTSA tacked on single tallies in both the seventh and eighth innings.
Joshua Lamb, who had two hits to push his hitting streak to nine games, drove in Dylan Rock on a groundout in the seventh.
A panel later, Bowles hit a one-out double, stole third base and then scored on Tony Beam's sacrifice fly.
The series finale is slated to begin at 11 a.m. Saturday.
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