April 14, 2001
Las Cruces, N.M. - Western Kentucky recovered from an 8-2 deficite to defeat New Mexico State 10-9 Saturday night.
The Hilltoppers (24-15, 8-6 SBC) got on the board right away in the first inning of NMSU starter Dan Bivian. LF Matt Fox (Sr., Louisville, Ky.) led off the inning with a walk. Pitcher Brian Houdek (Sr., Dyer, Ind.) then helped his own cause with a triple down the left-field line to drive home Fox. 1B D.J. Johnson (So., Hudson, Ky.) then singled to right to plate Houdek and give WKU a 2-0 lead.
New Mexico State (25-16, 3-10 SBC) responded with a run in the bottom of the first off Houdek. LF Kurt Wilkinson hit a two-out single to left and RF Ryan Kenning followed with a double to left center, scoring Wilkinson to make it a 2-1 game. The Aggies tied the game with a run in the second as they loaded the bases with no outs. After Houdek struck out leadoff hitter Anthony Purkiss, CF Cory Harrington lifted a sacrifice fly to center, plating DH Gabe Veloz to tie the game 2-2. Houdek then struck out Wilkinson to avoid further damage and keep the game tied.
NMSU took the lead in the third, sending 11 batters to the plate. Kenning led off the inning with a single and scored when SS Jason Larsen tripled to the gap in left center. After 1B Jay Moya flew out to shallow left, Veloz homered over the wall in right-center field to put New Mexico State on top 5-2. Catcher Chad Dias walked and 3B Travis Perry and Purkiss drew walks to load the bases. Harrington and Wilkinson followed with back-to-back singles, plating two more runs. John Bartsch (Sr., Auburn, Calif.) relieved Houdek as Kenning lifted a sacrifice fly to left scoring Purkiss to make it an 8-2 NMSU lead.
Western began to chip away with three runs in the fifth. SS Luis Rodriguez (Sr., Rio Piedra, Puerto Rico) led off the inning with a single and after 2B Patrick Ransdell (Jr., Bowling Green, Ky.) drew a walk, Fox doubled to right, scoring Rodriguez. Houdek followed with a double of his own to right center, driving home Ransdell and Fox, but Houdek was thrown out at third trying to advance on a high throw. Bivian then struck out Johnson and catcher Ryan Cattell (Jr., Minnetonka, Minn.) to end the inning and keep it an 8-5 Aggie lead.
The Toppers scored another run in the sixth as CF Tim Cleland (Sr., Klamath Falls, Ore.) reached on an error by Perry at third with two outs. Rodriguez then had an infield single and Ransdell singled to right, driving in Cleland to make it an 8-6 game. Western finally regained the lead in the eighth as RF Brent Miller (Fr., Muncie, Ind.) and 3B Tanner Townsend (Jr., London, Ky.) led off the frame with back-to-back singles. Cleland then hit a 1-2 pitch over the wall in left-center field to put Western on top 9-8.
Western added an insurance run in the ninth as Cattell hit a two-out double to left. Dane Bourque (Jr., Gonzalez, La.), who entered the game for Miller, dropped a single into right, scoring pinch runner Jerry Cecil (Jr., Louisville, Ky.) to give the Hilltoppers a 10-8 lead. The Aggies threatened in the bottom of the ninth as Moya hit a one-out single and stole second. After Bartsch struck out Veloz for the second out, Dias singled to left, plating Moya to make it a one-run game at 10-9. Mike Belch (Sr., Las Vegas, Nev.) relieved Bartsch and got Bobby Pierce to fly out to center to end the game.
Bartsch (5-1) picked up the win going 6.1 innings allowing only one run on three hits while striking out three. Belch recorded his third save and second of the series. Fox, Houdek and Rodriguez each had two hits for Western, while Houdek and Cleland drove in a game-high three runs.
The Hilltoppers will conclude their series with New Mexico State tomorrow at 1 p.m. (CDT).
-- WKU --
