April 21, 2000
Lafayette, La. - Western Kentucky's baseball team fell to Louisiana-Lafayette 5-4 Friday night in Lafayette, La. RHP Scott Dohmann (10-2) went 8.0 innings, giving up four runs on six hits, to claim the win. Freshman RHP Matt Wilhite (0-5), took the loss in relief, going 1.0 innings while giving up one run on one hit. Junior RHP Ryan Hutchison made the start for the Hilltoppers, going 7.0 innings and giving up four runs on 10 hits, but had no decision in the game.
The Hilltoppers (20-21, 9-9 in Sun Belt Conference play) got on the board first, scoring a run in the top of the third inning. Senior C Kevin Clutter led off the inning with a walk, and promptly stole second base. He reached third on a wild pitch by Dohmann. Junior SS Luis Rodriguez then took a walk. Rodriguez was then thrown out trying to steal second, but allowed Clutter to score the first run of the game. Two batters later, junior 2B Brian Houdek picked up the Hilltoppers first hit of the gamewith a double down the leftfield line. But the Hilltoppers couldn't score him.
The Cajuns (31-10, 13-6 in SBC) answered the Hilltoppers' challenge in the bottom of the third, scoring two runs. DH Jarvis Larry led off the inning with a walk and moved to third on 2B Ryan Gill's double to the right field corner. Larry then scored on a wild pitch by Hutchison and Gill moved to third. C Danny Massiate then took a walk from Hutchison, and 3B Nathan Nelson hit a single to center to score Gill. The inning ended two streaks < hutchison'="" consecutive="" inning="" scoreless="" streak="" and="" the="" streak="" of="" innings="" since="" the="" cajuns="" had="" scored="" a="" run.="" hutchison's="" streak="" ended="" at="" 21.0="" scoreless="" innings,="" and="" the="" runs="" were="" the="" first="" scored="" by="" louisiana-lafayette="" in="" 24.2="" innings.="">
The Hilltoppers came back to tie the score in the top of the fourth, though. Senior LF Jeff Vance led off the inning with a ground-rule double down the leftfield line. He moved to third on a passed ball by Massiate, and scored on Clutter's RBI single to center.
Louisiana-Lafayette took the lead in the bottom of the sixth inning, 3-2. 1B Steve Atwood doubled down the rightfield line with one out in the inning. OF Brandon LeBlanc then came in to pinch run for Atwood. LeBlanc moved to third on a ground out to second by SS Rick Haydel and scored on a wild pitch by Hutchison.
Western answered in the top of the seventh, though, tying the game 3-3. Junior 1B Eric Hammer doubled to left to lead off the inning, and moved to third on a sacrifice bunt by Clutter. He scored on Rodriguez' RBI single to center.
But the Cajuns would not back down. Gill led off the bottom of the seventh with a bloop single just over the head of Hammer that died on the outfield grass. After a flyout to right by Massiate, Gill moved to third on Nelson's single to left. LF Bret Bailey, who came in as a defensive replacement in the top of the inning, laid down a squeeze bunt for a base hit. The bunt scored Gill.
The Hilltoppers retaliated in the top of the eighth, when junior RF Tim Cleland led off the inning with a single. Cleland moved to second on a wild pitch by Dohmann, and moved to third on a groundout to short by Vance. He scored on a sacrifice fly to right by freshman DH D.J. Johnson.
But the Cajuns would not falter, picking up a run in the bottom of the eighth inning. With freshman RHP Matt Wilhite on the mound, Larry walked with one out in the inning. Gill then doubled for his fourth hit of the night to right field, moving Larry to third. OF Chase Bundy came into the game to pinch run for Larry. Nelson, who was already 4-for-4, hit a sacrifice fly to right to score the winning run.
RHP Aaron Welbourne came into the game in the ninth to register his seventh save.
Clutter led the Hilltoppers at the plate, going 1-for-2 with a run and an RBI. Rodriguez was 1-for-3 with an RBI.
The two teams will square off again at M.L. "Tigue" Moore Field, Saturday at 1 p.m. (CDT).
