Bowling Green, Ky. — Jennifer Kempf pitched a complete game five-hitter and Rachelle Boucher blasted a two-run home run to lead the Western Kentucky University softball team to a 5-2 Sun Belt Conference victory over #14 Louisiana-Lafayette Tuesday at the WKU Softball Complex. The win marks the fourth time the Hilltoppers have defeated a ranked opponent this season. WKU then dropped the finale of the doubleheader 11-4.

Trailing 2-1, WKU (13-16, 1-6 SBC) grabbed the lead in the fifth on a two-RBI double by Terri Ellingsworth. The double up the middle scored Kelsey McCauley and Sam Cronk. The Toppers put the Ragin’ Cajuns away after Boucher followed with a two-run homer to left field to score Ellingsworth and put WKU up 5-2.

The Toppers went up 1-0 in the fourth on a Lindsay Antone single that scored Brittney Perry.

ULL (21-9, 3-1 Sun Belt) scored its two runs on a two-RBI double by Brooke Brodhead.

Kempf (4-6) went the distance on two runs, five hits, and four strikeouts while Boucher and Antone collected two hits each.

In game two, the Hilltoppers tied the game at two on home runs from Rebecca Horesky and Shelby Smith in the second frame.

Louisiana then grabbed three runs each in the fourth, sixth and seventh innings to tie the series at one game apiece. WKU did add two runs in the home portion of the seventh on Ellingsworth’s second two-RBI double of the day.

The series finale begins at 1 p.m. (CDT) at the WKU Softball Complex on Wednesday.