April 25, 2001
Bowling Green, Ky. - Western Kentucky scored in every inning except the sixth on its way to a 17-3 win over Eastern Kentucky Wednesday night.
The Colonels (16-24) drew first blood with two runs in the first off WKU starter John Bartsch (Sr., Auburn, Calif.). CF Josh Anderson reached on an error to start the inning. After moving to second on a groundout by DH Chris Grynaviski, Anderson scored on a single to left by SS Kiley Vaughn. Catcher Mike Schneider followed with an infield single and Vaughn was driven in on a double by 1B John Myles to give EKU a 2-0 lead.
Western (28-18) got a run back in the bottom of the first as LF Matt Fox (Sr., Louisville, Ky.) led off the inning with a double to left-center field. After DH Brian Houdek (Sr., Dyer, Ind.) moved Fox to third with a sacrifice bunt, 1B D.J. Johnson (So., Hudson, Ky.) plated him with a sacrifice fly to center, to pull the Toppers within one at 2-1.
The Hilltoppers took the lead in the second, sending nine batters to the plate and scoring four times. 3B Tanner Townsend (Jr., London, Ky.) drew a walk to start the frame. RF Tim Cleland (Sr., Klamath Falls, Ore.) followed with his fifth home run off the season to leftcenter, putting WKU on top 3-2.. After EKU starter Keith Murnane retired the next two hitters, SS Matt Wilhite (So., Franklin, Ky.) and Fox hit back-to-back singles and Houdek drew a walk to load the bases. Johnson then singled to left, driving home Wilhite and Fox, making it a 5-2 game.
EKU pulled within two with another run in the third. Grynaviski was hit by a pitch to start the inning and Vaughn followed with a single to left. After both runners moved up on a wild pitch, Grynaviski scored on a groundout by Schneider to make it 5-3. WKU got the run back in the bottom of the inning as Townsend again led off the inning with a walk. After moving to second on a wild pitch, Townsend scored on a two-out single to right by CF Dane Bourque (Jr., Gonzalez, La.) to increase the lead to 6-3.
Western batted around again in the fourth, sending 10 men to the plate, scoring five runs. Fox led off the inning with his eighth home run of the year to left center. After EKU reliever Josh Thomas retired the next two hitters, catcher Ryan Cattell (Jr., Minnetonka, Minn.) singled. Townsend followed with a double to left, putting runners on second and third. Cleland then beat out an infield single, plating Cattell, and the ball got away from 1B John Myles, allowing Townsend to score. 2B Nick Turner (Jr., Louisville, Ky) followed with a double down the left-field line. Bourque then blooped a single into right, scoring both runners to make it an 11-3 game. WKU scored again in the fifth as Houdek led off the inning with his second homer of the year to left, making it 12-3.
WKU added another run in the seventh when Wilhite led off with a double to the gap in leftcenter. After reliever Chip Albright retired the next two hitters, pinch hitter David Lower (So., Alexandria, Ind.) singled to center, driving in Wilhite to increase the lead to 13-3. Western added four more in the eighth. Patrick Ransdell (Jr., Bowling Green, Ky.) drew a one-out walk and move to second on a single by Bourque. Jerry Cecil (Jr., Louisville, Ky.) singled to right, driving in Randsell. Jeff Pacholke (Jr., Prairrie DuSac, Wisc.) homered over the right-center field wall to make it a 17-3 Hilltopper lead. Andy Baldwin (Fr., Campbellsville, Ky.) came in and pitched a scoreless ninth inning to end the game.
Bartsch (6-3) picked up the win going 5.0 innings allowing three runs on five hits. Fox and Bourque led the offense with three hits, while Bourque, Pacholke and Johnson drove in a game-high three runs.
Western is on the road this weekend for a three-game Sun Belt series at Florida International. Both teams are currently in a four-way tie for the Sun Belt lead with an 11-7 conference record.
- WKU -
