March 25, 2001
Bowling Green, Ky. - The Western Kentucky baseball team used a four-run seventh inning to come from behind to defeat Arkansas State 8-4 on Sunday and take two of three games in the weekend series.
The Indians (9-17, 2-4 SBC) struck first with two runs in the second off Hilltopper starter Brian Houdek (Sr., Dyer, Ind.). LF Kyle Brunen led off the frame with a walk and moved to second when 2B George Sterner reached on an error by WKU 2B Patrick Ransdell (Jr., Bowling Green, Ky.). After Houdek struck out the next two batters, CF Nick Martin and 3B Allen Mazzanti had back-to-back RBI singles to put ASU on top 2-0.
Western (17-9, 3-3 SBC) got on the board in the as 3B Matt Wilhite (So., Franklin, Ky.) was hit by a pitch from Indian starter Tommy Goforth to open the inning. Wilhite moved to third on a single by Houdek and scored on an infield single by 1B D.J. Johnson (So., Hudson, Ky.) to make it a 2-1 game. Western then tied the game at 2-2 in the fifth as LF Matt Fox (Sr., Louisville, Ky.) scored on an RBI groundout by Johnson. However, ASU regained the lead in the sixth as 1B Kent Brunen reached on an error by Wilhite, scoring Martin. The Indians added another run in the seventh when RF Lane Stafford singled off WKU reliever John Bartsch (Sr., Auburn, Calif.) scoring Sterner and giving ASU a 4-2 advantage.
WKU responded in the bottom of the seventh as Wilhite led off the inning with his first career home run to center field to pull the Toppers within 4-3. Houdek and Johnson each had one-out singles and after Indian reliever John Anderson threw a wild pitch, catcher Ryan Cattell (Jr., Minnetonka, Minn.) was intentionally walked to load the bases. Anderson then walked CF David Lower (So., Alexandria, Ind.) to force in the tying run. Keith Vorhoff relieved Anderson and walked RF Tim Cleland (Sr., Klamath Falls, Ore.) to force home another run and give Western a 5-4 lead. Nick Turner (Jr., Louisville, Ky.) came off the bench and delivered a sacrifice fly to center to score Cattell and increase the Western advantage to 6-4 after seven. The Toppers added two mor runs in the eighth on a double steal by Fox and Houdek and an RBI single by Lower to put WKU up 8-4.
Kurt Minnick (Fr., Anderson, Ind.) retired the side in order in both the eight and ninth innings to secure the win and pick up his first career save. Bartsch (4-1) picked up the win in relief. Houdek led the offense going 5-for-5 with two runs scored.
The Hilltoppers will play at home again on Tuesday when the host the University of Kentucky at 4 p.m.
- WKU -
