March 20, 2001
Murray, Ky. - The Western Kentucky baseball team picked up an 8-4 win at Murray State on Tuesday. The win was the 11th straight against the Thoroughbreds.
The Hilltoppers (15-7) opened the scoring in the second inning as Thoroughbred starter Gordon Dugan walked three straight Western batters. Catcher Brian Polson (Jr., Louisville, Ky.) then laid down a sacrifice bunt to score DH Ryan Cattell (Jr., Minnetonka, Minn.). SS Matt Wilhite (So., Franklin, Ky.) then reached on a throwing error by 3B Ronnie Seets, scoring RF Tim Cleland (Sr., Klamath Falls, Ore.) to give Western a 2-0 lead.
Western struck again in the third as LF Matt Fox (Sr., Louisville, Ky.) led off the inning with a double to right, extending his hitting streak to 16 games. 2B Brian Houdek (Sr., Dyer, Ind.) then drew a walk on four pitches. 1B D.J. Johnson (So., Hudson, Ky.) laid down a bunt that was thrown away by pitcher Gordon Dugen, allowing both Fox and Houdek to score. 3B Nick Turner (Jr., Louisville, Ky.) dropped down a bunt single, advancing Johnson to third, who later scored on a groundout by Cleland to make it a 5-0 game.
Murray (11-11-1) got on the board in the bottom of the third as Hilltopper starter John Bartsch (Sr., Auburn, Calif.) walked the first two batters and allowed a bunt single to LF Billy Moore. RF Josh Ridgway then lifted a sacrifice fly to center, scoring the 'Breds first run. However, the Toppers responded with three more runs in the fourth as Johnson delivered a two-run double down the right field line and scored on a double to left by Turner increase the WKU lead to 8-1.
Murray State added three runs in the bottom of the seventh as DH Brian Boeshko reached on an error by Turner. After SS Mike Voyles singled to right, Boeshko scored on a single by 2B Todd Satterfield. CF Garner Byars then delivered a two-out single to center scoring both Voyles and Satterfield to make it an 8-4 game.
T.J. Johnson (Jr., Symsonia, Ky.) and Mike Belch (Sr., Las Vegas, Nev.) shut down the Thoroughbreds in the eighth and ninth to secure the win. Bartsch picked up with win, improving to 3-1 on the year, throwing 7.0 innings allowing four runs, one earned, on six hits while striking out eight and walking only two. Dugan suffered the loss for Murray State, falling to 1-2 on the year. Fox and Turner led the Topper offense with two hits each.
The Hilltoppers remain on the road as they travel to Louisville tomorrow for a 2 p.m. (CST) game against the University of Louisville at Cardinal Stadium.
- WKU -
