MURFREESBORO (Interstat) — Cael Frost hit two home runs, including a go-ahead two-run shot in the top of the ninth inning, to lead Western Kentucky to a 9-8 victory over Middle Tennessee on Sunday at Reese Smith Jr. Field.

Frost finished 3 for 5 with two homers and four RBIs for the Hilltoppers, who evened the three-game Conference USA series after a 1-7 loss Friday and an 11-0 win Saturday. The left fielder’s second blast of the day came with two outs in the ninth after L. Arroyos drew a walk, giving Western Kentucky a 9-7 lead.

The Hilltoppers improved to 26-22 overall and 10-12 in Conference USA. Middle Tennessee dropped to 23-25 and 8-14.

Frost also homered in the fifth inning, a two-run drive that tied the game 4-4 after Western Kentucky had erased an early four-run deficit. The Hilltoppers had trailed 4-0 after two innings as Middle Tennessee’s Tyler Minnick delivered a two-run homer in the first and a two-run single in the second. Minnick went 2 for 5 with a homer and four RBIs.

Western Kentucky scored three unearned runs in the fourth inning, capitalizing on a Middle Tennessee error and a wild pitch to cut the lead to 4-3. A. Haller tied the game with a solo homer in the fifth before Frost’s first homer put the Hilltoppers ahead. They added a run in the sixth on a sacrifice fly by L. Arroyos to make it 7-4.

Middle Tennessee answered with three runs in the bottom of the sixth. Layne Akers led off with a solo homer, and Clay Badylak and Cooper Clapp each drove in a run to tie the game at 7-7. The Blue Raiders loaded the bases later in the inning but Nathan Brewer flied out to end the threat.

The score remained tied until the ninth. Western Kentucky’s bullpen held Middle Tennessee scoreless in the seventh and eighth innings. Ka’olu Holt pitched 2 1/3 innings of hitless relief, allowing one unearned run while striking out two. Jacob O’Day added 1 1/3 scoreless innings, and Nathan Lawson recorded the final out in the ninth after Brett Rogers’ RBI double cut the lead to 9-8.

Middle Tennessee outhit Western Kentucky 12-9. Gavin King struck out 11 over 4 2/3 innings but took a no-decision. Bryant Beranek pitched 1 1/3 hitless innings for the Blue Raiders.

The Hilltoppers return to Bowling Green to host Eastern Kentucky on Wednesday before a three-game series against Dallas Baptist. Middle Tennessee travels to Lipscomb on Tuesday before a three-game series at Florida International.

The Interstat game simulator had projected a final score of Middle Tennessee 6, Western Kentucky 5, while the Interstat ELO system gave Western Kentucky a 64.80 percent probability to win.