April 30, 2000
Bowling Green, Ky. - Western Kentucky's baseball team defeated Arkansas-Little Rock 9-5 Sunday, to end the Hilltoppers seven-game losing streak. Senior RHP Brandon Miller (5-4) went 7.0 innings, giving up four runs on four hits to claim the win. RHP Marcus Hinson (4-4) went 5.0 innings, giving up six runs on six hits to take the loss.
TheHilltoppers (21-28, 10-13 in Sun Belt Conference play) took the early lead, scoring three runs in the bottom of the second. Senior LF Jeff Vance led off the inning with a double to left, and moved to third on a passed ball by Trojan C Aaron Robbins. Junior DH Justin Herrguth then launched a home run over the leftfield wall to give the Toppers a 2-0 lead. The homer gave Herrguth the team lead at four. After a ground out to first by freshman 1B D.J. Johnson, senior C Kevin Clutter then hit a homer down the leftfield line, his second of the season.
In the bottom of fourth, the Hilltoppers added another run when junior 2B Brian Houdek hit a homer to left, his third of the year.
The Trojans (28-18, 13-10 in SBC) scored their first run of the game in the top of the fourth, when Robbins hit a home run to left.
In the bottom of the fifth, the Hilltoppers added two more runs, stretching their lead to 6-1. Houdek led off the inning with a single to center, and moved to third on junior RF Tim Cleland's double. After a ground out to second by Vance, Herrguth hit a sacrifice fly to left that scored Houdek and advanced Cleland to third. Johnson then hit an infield single that scored Cleland.
WKU added three more runs in the bottom fo the sixth. With one out, junior SS Luis Rodriguez doubled to right center and moved to third on a wild pitch by RHP Brian Beckman, who came into the game in relief of Hinson in the middle of the inning. Junior CF Matt Fox was then hit by a pitch, and Houdek walked to load the bases. Cleland then singled to left to score Rodriguez and Fox. Vance then followed Cleland with a single to left center, but overran Cleland in the basepath, and was called out. The hit scored Houdek, and moved Cleland to third.
In the top of the eighth, UALR scored four runs to cut the Hilltopper lead to 9-5. Miller hit Trojan SS Miguel Miranda with a pitch, and then gave up a single to PH Jeff Willis. He then walked LF John Gragg to load the bases. Hilltopper skipper Joel Murrie then brought in RHP Mike Belch. Belch gave up back-to-back doubles to 2B Derin McMains and 3B Austin Standiford. McMains' double cleared the bases, and Standiford's double scored McMains. Belch then sat down the rest of the line up in order to get out of the inning.
Junior RHP Jeff Lincoln came on in the top of the ninth for the Hilltoppers and sealed the win for the Hilltoppers.
Cleland was 2-for-3 at the plate to lead the Hilltoppers. Houdek was 2-for-4 with three runs scored. Willis led the Trojans going 2-for-2.
The Hilltoppers will now be off for the week to prepare for finals, and will play Florida International in a Sun Belt Conference series this Friday and Saturday. Friday will be a double header starting at 4 p.m. (CDT) and Saturday will be a 1 p.m. game.
