April 6, 2001
Mobile, Ala. - South Alabama scored eight runs in the first four innings en route to an 11-2 win over Western Kentucky in the first of a three-game Sun Belt Conference series at Stanky field Friday night.
The Jaguars got on the board with three runs in the bottom of the first off Hilltoppers starter Ryan Hutchison (Sr., Vincennes, Ind.). USA opened the game with five straight singles by CF Cameron Likely, RF Erik Smallwood, SS Tim Merritt and 1B Nick Gretz with Gretz's hit plating two runs. 2B Scott Calahan followed with a single to left, scoring Merritt. Hutchison was able to record two strikeouts and get 3B Brett Parker to pop up to SS Luis Rodriguez (Sr., Rio Piedra, Puerto Rico) to end the inning and keep it at a 3-0 USA lead.
South Alabama (27-6, 7-3 SBC) added two more runs in the second as Likely singled to left and scored on a triple down the right-field line by Smallwood. Merritt then plated Smallwood with a groundout to shortstop to make it a 5-0 game. Catcher Warren Hanna led off the third with a home run to left, giving the Jaguars a 6-0 lead after three. USA played long ball again in the fourth as Smallwood drew a one-out walk and Merritt followed with a home run to left to make it an 8-0 lead.
Western (20-14, 5-5 SBC) finally broke into the scoring column in the seventh as catcher Ryan Cattell (Jr., Minnetonka, Minn.) led off the inning with his eighth home run of the year to left-center field. DH Jeff Pacholke (Jr., Prairrie DuSac, Wisc.) followed with a double to right center off Jaguar starter Clark Girardeau. Mel Spivey relieved Girardeau and struck out CF Dane Bourque (Jr., Gonzalez, La.). After a wild pitch moved Pacholke to third, 3B Tanner Townsend (Jr., London, Ky.) drew a walk and Rodriguez grounded into a fielder's choice to score Pacholke and make it an 8-2 game.
South Alabama added three more runs in the eight off WKU reliever Igor Roiberg (Fr., Toronto, Canada). Merritt drew a one-out walk and after Gretz singled, Calahan doubled to right plating Merritt. Hanna followed with a single through a drawn in infield off Matt Wilhite (So., Franklin, Ky.) to score two more runs and make it an 11-2 USA lead.
Hutchison (5-5) suffered the loss going 4.0 innings allowing eight runs on nine hits while striking out four and walking two. Kevin Sadowski (Sr., Cresthill, Ill.), who relieved Hutchison in the fifth, held the Jaguars scoreless in 3.0 innings of work, allowing only one hit and striking out two. Houdek led the Topper offense going 3-for-4.
Western and South Alabama will hook up again tomorrow at 1 p.m. (CDT).
-- WKU --
