April 27, 2001
Miami, Fla. - The Western Kentucky baseball team committed five errors allowing Florida International to score five unearned runs in a 6-2 loss to the Golden Panthers Friday night.
FIU (36-12, 12-7 SBC) got on the board in the first inning as leadoff hitter Barry Paulk chopped a single up the middle. Paulk then advanced to third on a throwing error by Ryan Hutchison (Sr., Vincennes, Ind.) and scored on a single by CF Matt Huntingford to make it a 1-0 Golden Panther lead.
Western (28-19, 11-8 SBC) finally broke through in the fourth inning after FIU starter Willie Collazo held the Toppers hitless through the first three innings. 2B Brian Houdek (Sr., Dyer, Ind.) led off the inning with a double to left. 1B D.J. Johnson (So., Hudson, Ky.) then laid down a bunt and Houdek beat out Collazo's attempt to throw him out at third, putting runners on the corners. After Collazo retired the next two hitters, DH Nick Turner (Jr., Louisville, Ky.) singled to right, driving in Houdek to tied the game. RF Tim Cleland (Sr., Klamath Falls, Ore.) followed with a single off Tino Burgos' glove at second, plating Johnson to give WKU a 2-1 lead.
Florida International regained the lead five unearned runs in the seventh inning. 3B Todd Sherbinsky hit a one-out infield single. Burgos then reached on an error by Houdek to put runners on first and second. Paulk then hit a ball that was misplayed by SS Luis Rodriguez (Sr., Rio Piedra, Puerto Rico), allowing Sherbinsky to score and putting runners at the corners. Hutchison was then called for a balk, bringing home Burgos. After Hutchison struck out Huntingford, 1B Hector Nunez and DH Daniel Bustamante hit back-to-back singles, plating Paulk. RF Mike Quintana then hit a bases-clearing double to the gap in leftcenter, giving the Golden Panthers a 6-2 lead.
Collazo was able to shut down the Hilltoppers in the final two innings to improve to a perfect 11-0 on the season. Hutchison (8-6) suffered the loss going 8.0 innings, allowing six runs, one earned, on 11 hits while striking out six.
Western and FIU will play the second game of their three-game set tomorrow at noon (CDT).
-- WKU --
