March 11, 2001
Bowling Green, Ky. - The Western Kentucky baseball team pounded out a season-high 26 hits and scored 25 runs to complete a sweep of Oakland 25-6 on Sunday. The 25 runs are the most by a WKU team since 1992 when the Hilltoppers put up 28 on Central Florida.
Western (12-5) got on the board in the first on an RBI single by 1B D.J. Johnson and scored again on a sacrifice fly by 3B Nick Turner to take a 2-0 lead. Oakland (0-10) added single runs in the second and third innings, with WKU scoring two more in the second on a double by CF Matt Fox (Sr., Louisville, Ky.) to make it 4-2 after three innings. The hit increased Fox's hitting streak to 11 games.
Western then erupted for six runs in the fourth, capped off by a two-run home run by DH Jeff Pacholke, his second homer of the season. WKU added five runs in the fifth, then exploded for nine runs in the seventh inning to finish the scoring. The seventh inning scoring was highlighted by CF David Lower's (So., Alexandria, Ind.) three-run home run, the first of his career.
Lower led the offense going 3-for-6 with six RBI and four runs scored. 2B Patrick Ransdell (Jr., Bowling Green, Ky.) was also 3-for-6 with two RBI and four runs scored, while catcher Kenneth Yaeger (Fr., Bowling Green, Ky.) had two hits and three RBI.
Brian Houdek (Sr., Dyer, Ind.) improved to 4-0 picking up the win on the mound throwing 5.0 innings, allowing two runs on four hits and striking out 10. Igor Roiber (Fr., Toronto, Canada) made his collegiate debut facing two batters and recording his first strikeout.
The Hilltoppers have now won 10 straight games, the most since the 1988 Toppers rallied off ten in a row. WKU returns to action Tuesday (March 13) for a 3 p.m CST game with Kentucky State. The Hilltoppers open Sun Belt Conference play next weekend (March 16-18) as they host 2000 College World Series participant Louisiana-Lafayette.
- WKU -
