April 20, 2001
Bowling Green, Ky. - Western Kentucky's Ryan Hutchison (Sr., Vincennes, Ind.) threw his third complete game season as the Hilltoppers defeated Arkansas-Little Rock 9-3 Friday night.
The Trojans (17-18, 5-11 SBC) got on the board first as CF Michael Johnson led off the game with a walk and after stealing second moved to third on a bunt single by SS Miguel Miranda. LF John Gragg brought home Johnson on a fielder's choice to give UALR an early 1-0 lead.
Western (26-16, 10-6 SBC) responded in the bottom of the first as LF Matt Fox (Sr., Louisville, Ky.) led off the inning with a double to the gap in right-center field. After 2B Brian Houdek (Sr., Dyer, Ind.) was hit by a pitch, 1B D.J. Johnson (So., Hudson, Ky.) moved up both runners with a sacrifice bunt. Catcher Ryan Cattell (Jr., Minnetonka, Minn.) followed with a sacrifice fly to center, plating Fox and tying the game at 1-1.
The Hilltoppers broke the game open in the fifth, sending 11 batters to the plate and scoring seven runs. 3B Tanner Townsend (Jr., London, Ky.) led off the frame with a single to center. RF Tim Cleland (Sr., Klamath Falls, Ore.) followed with a double down the right-field line to put runners on second and third. SS Luis Rodriguez (Sr., Rio Piedra, Puerto Rico) singled to center, driving in Townsend to give WKU a 2-1 lead. Fox plated Cleland with a bunt single past the pitcher and after Fox and Rodriguez executed a double steal, Houdek hit his first home run of the season over the wall in left to give the Hilltoppers a 6-1 lead.. Johnson followed with a double down the right-field line and scored on a single by Cattell. Townsend then delivered his second hit of the inning, a double to the left-center field gap, driving in Cattell from first and give Western an 8-1 advantage.
UALR got a run back in the sixth as 1B Brent Champion was hit by a pitch to start the inning and moved to second on a balk by Hutchison. Hutchison retired the next two batters, but Gragg singled to left, driving in Champion to make it an 8-2 game. Western responded in the bottom of the inning as Rodriguez and CF David Lower (So., Alexandria, Ind.) led off the inning with back-to-back singles to right. Fox sacrificed both runners over and was safe at first on an error by Trojan reliever Tucker O'Neal to load the bases. Rodriguez the scored on a passed ball to make it 9-2.
The Trojans got a run in the ninth as Hall and catcher Derek Santangelo had one out singles. 1B Austin Standiford then hit a sacrifice fly to left, scoring Hall, but Hutchison retired the next two hitters to end the game and give Western a 9-3 win.
Hutchison went all 9.0 innings allowing three runs on seven hits while striking out nine. Townsend led the offense going 3-for-4 with an RBI and a run scored. Houdek had a game-high three RBI.
Western and UALR will play the second game of the series tomorrow at 2 p.m. (CDT).
- WKU -
