April 3, 2001
Bowling Green, Ky. - Tennessee Tech scored 10 runs in the first three inning en route to an 11-1 win over Western Kentucky Tuesday night.
The game started badly for WKU (20-12) as Hilltopper starter Kevin Sadowski (Sr., Cresthill, Ill.) hit leadoff batter Jesse Johnson. After a walk to 1B Jake Allen and groundout by catcher Ben Cunningham, Sadowski hit CF Matt Curtis to load the bases. DH Mark Gilliam then hit a bases-clearing double and later scored on single by 3B Casey Benjamin to put the Golden Eagles (12-17) on top 4-0.
WKU responded with a run in the bottom of the first as 2B Brian Houdek (Sr., Dyer, Ind.) and 1B D.J. Johnson (So., Hudson, Ky.) singled. DH Jeff Pacholke (Jr., Prairrie DuSac, Wisc.) then singled in Houdek to make it a 4-1 game.
Western would not score the rest of the way, however, and Tech added three more runs in the second off reliever T.J. Johnson (Jr., Symsonia, Ky.), two of which came on a home run to left by RF Bubbie Buzachero. The Eagles added three more in the third on an RBI single by 2B Wesley Dunn and a double by Johnson that plated two more to make it a 10-1 game after three.
Andy Baldwin (Fr., Campbellsville, Ky.) was able to stop the bleeding, throwing 3.0 innings of relief allowing only a run on two hits while striking out five, but TTU starter Donnie Long was able to silence the Hilltopper bats, and Buzachero allowed only one hit in 3.0 innings of relief.
Matt Fox (Sr., Louisville, Ky.) and Johnson led the WKU offense with two hits each. Western will travel to Austin Peay tomorrow for a 6:30 p.m. CDT game with the Governors.
- WKU -
