HADLEY, Ky. (Interstat) — Kyle Hayes delivered a crucial two-run double as part of a four-run seventh inning, and the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers’ bullpen combined for seven scoreless frames in a 10-5 comeback victory over the Louisville Cardinals on Tuesday night at Nick Denes Field.

The game’s pivotal shift came in the bottom of the seventh, breaking a tense deadlock. The Hilltoppers, who had trailed 5-0 before their first at-bat, finally seized control for good. Pinch-hitter Coley P. led off with a triple. After an out and a pitching change, L. Arroyos was hit by a pitch and stole second. Hayes then stepped in and ripped a double to left field, clearing the bases and giving Western Kentucky an 8-5 lead. Hayes, the designated hitter who finished 2 for 4 with three RBIs, was the top star for the Hilltoppers, providing the key hit after a recent series where he was 4 for 14 against Jacksonville State.

The inning continued as C. Ross singled, and Hayes later scored on a throwing error by the Louisville catcher. JP Acosta capped the rally with an RBI double, his third hit and second RBI of the night, to make it 10-5. That four-run outburst was the decisive blow, fueled by three hits and two Louisville errors.

The game began in stunning fashion, with the Cardinals posting five runs in the top of the first inning before recording an out. The inning was built on patience, as the first two batters grounded out and walked, setting the stage. Tague Davis then launched a three-run home run to left field, his two-RBI blast providing the early fireworks. The Cardinals added two more runs on a sacrifice fly and an RBI groundout before the Hilltoppers could escape the inning.

Western Kentucky responded immediately and emphatically in the bottom half, sending 12 men to the plate against Louisville starter Vorster. The Hilltoppers scored four runs on five hits, including RBI doubles from Arroyos and Hayes, and an RBI single from Acosta. A Louisville throwing error allowed another run to score, cutting the deficit to 5-4 and completely resetting the game’s momentum.

Louisville’s bullpen, led by Jake Schweitzer and Jack Brown, provided critical stability to keep the game tied. Schweitzer entered with the bases loaded in the first and got a popout to escape further damage. He and Brown combined for four hitless innings of relief from the first through the fifth. Zane Stahl also added a perfect inning of relief.

Western Kentucky’s relievers were even more dominant. After starter Uebelhor M. allowed the five first-inning runs, the quartet of Mick Uebelhor, Kaine Samuels, Conner Wolf, and Sam K. shut down the Cardinals. From the second inning onward, they allowed just one hit—a two-run homer to Davis in the fifth that briefly gave Louisville a 7-5 lead—and three total hits over the final eight innings. Wolf and Samuels each struck out three.

The Hilltoppers tied the game at 5-5 in the fourth on an RBI single from Ross, and again at 7-7 in the sixth when Arroyos scored on a Louisville fielding error. That set the stage for the game-breaking seventh.

Western Kentucky improved to 14-11 overall, while Louisville fell to 16-9. The result defied the pregame projections from Interstat, whose simulator had predicted an 8-6 Louisville win and whose ELO system gave the Cardinals a 63.1 percent probability of victory.

The Hilltoppers out-hit the Cardinals 16 to 6, with Acosta (3 for 5, 2 RBIs) and Ross (3 for 5, 2 RBIs) joining Hayes with multi-hit games. Davis was the lone bright spot for Louisville, going 1 for 3 with the home run, a walk, and two RBIs.

Louisville returns home to begin a three-game Atlantic Coast Conference series against Pittsburgh on Friday. Western Kentucky heads to Texas to open a Conference USA series at Sam Houston, also on Friday.