BOWLING GREEN, Ky. — Western Kentucky scored a pair of runs in the bottom of the ninth inning in rallying to defeat the Bellarmine University baseball team 9-8 on Wednesday night at Nick Denes Field.

Facing a 3-0 deficit after the first, Bellarmine (5-27) continuously battled back to tie Western Kentucky (23-11) at 4-4, 5-5 and 7-7. The Knights finally overtook the Hilltoppers at 8-7 in the top of the ninth after a walk by senior third baseman Reed Blaszczyk and single by junior second baseman Webster Walls set up a go-ahead RBI ground out by junior designated hitter Jacob Rowold.

Western Kentucky (23-11) started the ninth with a pair of singles. The contest then ended when Camden Ross laid down a sacrifice bunt and Bellarmine threw wildly to first, with the tying and winning runs scoring on the error.

Rowold clubbed a pair of doubles, including an RBI two-bagger in a two-run third that tied the score at 4. Sophomore shortstop Luke Scales' RBI single in the fifth knotted it at 5.

In the sixth, junior first baseman Casey Sorg launched a two-run homer that drew Bellarmine even at 7 with WKU. It was Sorg's eighth homer of the season.

Blaszczyk, Walls and Rowold notched two hits apiece, and Bellarmine amassed 11 overall. Senior right-hander Ross Goldschlag didn't allow a run in 3.0 innings of relief while sophomore right-hander Ben Tedesco and sophomore right-hander Holden Groher tossed 1.0 scoreless frame apiece.

Bellarmine will host North Alabama in an ASUN series starting at 3 p.m. (ET) Friday.

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