BOWLING GREEN. Ky. - Western Illinois baseball (4-8) held a 4-0 lead early in Saturday's contest but walks and a five-run sixth for Western Kentucky (6-8) would be all the Hilltoppers would need to secure the series victory.

The first three spots in the Leatherneck lineup combined to go 6-for-11 with four runs scored and two RBI. The next six spots combined for just one hit.

Rich Mascheri started the game with a base hit up the middle and Dan Dispensa followed with a bunt single. Austin Cowen kept the early threat rolling with a single through the left side to load the bases for Tom Lilja. Lilja drove in a run with a sacrifice fly to center to give the Leathernecks a 1-0 lead. Hilltopper starter Justin Hageman limited the damage and escaped without allowing further damage.

Dustin Hunter looked impressive early with four strikeouts to keep the Toppers off-balance. However, Hunter would not be able to limit the walks and allowed his pitch count to pile up.

Mascheri and Dispensa got the Leathernecks in scoring position at second and third after back-to-back singles. Austin Cowen smacked a two-run double down the left field line to give the purple & Gold a 3-0 advantage. A Hilltopper error allowed Cowen to score and stretch the visitors' lead to 4-0.

Casey Dykes collected the first hit of the game for WKU following a walk to build a threat for the Hilltoppers in the fourth inning with one out. However, Hunter was up to the challenge and escaped unharmed to keep the Leathernecks' 4-0 lead in tact.

The Hilltoppers would threaten again in the fifth after two walks from Hunter and a Scott Wilcox single to load the bases with one away. Adam Lavelle drilled a single back up the middle to cut the Leathernecks' lead in half at 4-2. Western Kentucky would trim the deficit to one with a fielding error charged to Matt Igara at third base allowed Wilcox to score.

Philip Tolman (0-1) replaced Hunter and had to deal with base runners in the bottom of the sixth after a walk and a single for WKU. Tolman drilled Ivan Hartle on the leg to load the bases with one out. Wilcox drove it deep it enough to bring in a run with the sacrifice fly and tie the game at 4-4. A bases-loaded walk would give WKU its first lead of the afternoon at 5-4.

Dykes drove in two more in the bottom of the sixth with a single through the left side to give the Hilltoppers a 7-4 lead. A single in right-center would score the fifth run of the inning and give WKU an 8-4 lead after six innings. The Hilltoppers added a run in the bottom of the eighth with an RBI single from Devin Kelly to make it 9-4.

The Purple & Gold went quietly in the ninth to give Ian Tompkins (2-0) the win after he went three innings, allowing just one hit and strike out two. Taylor Haydel collected the final three outs to give the Hilltoppers its sixth win of the season.

Mascheri, Dispensa and Cowen all collected two hits while Cowen drove in two runs. Hunter pitched just five innings while allowing three runs, two of them earned and struck out six while walking seven.

The Leathernecks will conclude its series at Western Kentucky with a 1 p.m. game at Nick Denes Field on Sunday. The Purple & Gold will go with Nick Smith (1-0, 4.08 ERA) while the Hilltoppers will send Tim Bado (1-1, 2.70 ERA) to the hill.