May 11, 2001
Ruston, La. - Louisiana Tech used a six-run eight inning to defeat the Western Kentucky baseball team in the first game of a doubleheader on Friday, and scored a run in the bottom of the seventh to take the nightcap.
The Bulldogs (30-23, 12-13 SBC) got on the board first in game one, plating a run in the first inning. 2B Craig Montgomery hit a one-out single to left to start the rally. After moving to second on a passed ball and third on a wild pitch, Montgomery scored on a single by RF Jake Adams to give Tech an early 1-0 lead. However, in the inning Hilltopper starter Ryan Hutchison (Sr., Vincennes, Ind.) recorded his 254th career strikeout to become WKU's all-time career strikeout king.
Western (30-25, 13-13 SBC) responded in the top of the second, taking the lead with two runs. 3B Nick Turner (Jr., Louisville, Ky.) drew a walk to lead off the inning. After Tech starter Lee Gwaltney retired the next two hitter, DH Brent Miller (Fr., Muncie, Ind.) and RF Tim Cleland (Sr., Klamath Falls, Ore.) had back-to-back singles to load the bases. CF Dane Bourque (Jr., Gonzalez, La.) followed with a single up the middle, plating both Turner and Miller, putting WKU on top 2-1.
Louisiana Tech tied the game in the fourth as 1B Tim Meadows led off the frame with a double down the left-field line and moved to third on a single by 3B Nick Cauley. Hutchison then got LF Darin Uptigrove to ground into a 6-4-3 double play, allowing Meadows to score and tie the game 2-2. However, Western regained the lead in the fifth as Cleland led off with a double over the third-base bag and moved to third on a groundout by LF Matt Fox (Sr., Louisville, Ky.). 2B Brian Houdek (Sr., Dyer, Ind.) then hit a ball that went through the legs of Cauley at third, allowing Cleland to score and give the Toppers a 3-2 lead.
The Bulldogs came back again in the fifth as Robinson again led off with a double. After moving to third on a groundout by Montgomery, Robinson scored when DH Cullen Simmons reached on an error by SS Tanner Townsend (Jr., London, Ky.) to tie the game 3-3. Western came back in the sixth, however, as Townsend and catcher Ryan Cattell (Jr., Minnetonka, Minn.) each singled to start the inning. Miller then hit his first career home run over the wall in center, to give Western a 6-3 advantage. Tech got a run back in its half of the sixth as Uptigrove greeted Hilltopper reliever T.J. Johnson (Jr., Symsonia, Ky.) to the game with a home run to left center, making it a 6-4 game. The Bulldogs manufactured another run in seventh to pull within a run. Montgomery led off with a double and moved to third on a fly out to center by Simmons. Adams followed with a sacrifice fly to center, driving in Montgomery to make the score 6-5.
Western got two more in the eighth as Brian Polson (Jr., Louisville, Ky.) and Miller each singled to start the inning and moved up on a sacrifice bunt by Cleland. Bourque then lifted a sacrifice fly to left to plate Polson and Fox singled to center, scoring Miller to increase the lead to 8-5. However, Louisiana Tech rallied in bottom of the eight off reliever Mike Belch (Sr., Las Vegas, Nev.). Pinch hitter Lane LaBorde reached on an error by Townsend to start the inning. Preaus and Beck then singled, with Beck's plating LaBorde. After Robinson laid down a sacrifice bunt to move the runners up, Montgomery singled, scoring Preaus. Andy Baldwin (Fr., Campbellsville, Ky.) entered in relief and hit Simmons to load the bases. After Baldwin struck out Adams, Meadows single to left, plating two runs to give Tech a 9-8 lead. Cauley followed with a single to right, plating two more to make it an 11-8 game. Marcus Clapp was able to shut down the Toppers in the ninth to get the win in game one.
Game two started well for the Hilltoppers as they plated two runs in the first. Bourque led off by reaching on an error by Montgomery at second. Houdek then doubled off the wall in left center to put runners at second and third. 1B D.J. Johnson (So., Hudson, Ky.) plated Bourque with an RBI groundout and Turner lifted a sacrifice fly to center, driving home Houdek to make it 2-0 in favor of the Hilltoppers.
Louisiana Tech sent nine men to the plate and scored four times in the fourth inning to take the lead. Hilltopper starter Ryan Bicondoa (Jr., Lovelock, Nev.) hit Cauley to start the inning. After recording a strikout, Bicondoa walked Meadows and Simmons followed with a single to left, scoring Cauley to make it 2-1. Uptigrove followed with a double down the left-field line, plating both runners and Beck doubled to left center, scoring Uptigrove to make it a 4-2 Bulldog lead.
The Hilltoppers came back with three runs in the fifth. Cleland led off with a double to left and LF David Lower (So., Alexandria, Ind.) was hit by a pitch. Houdek then hit a one-out double down the line in left to score both runners and tie the game 4-4. Johnson the grounded out to first and Houdek was able to beat a throw to the plate, giving Western a 5-4 lead. However, Tech regained the lead in the bottom of the fifth Cauley doubled and moved to second when Adams was hit by a pitch. Meadows then laid down a bunt that Bicondoa threw into left field trying to cut down Cauley at third. Simmons then singled to left, driving in Adams to give the Bulldogs a 6-5 lead. Kurt Minnick (Fr., Anderson, Ind.) relieved Bicondoa and walked Gashel to load the bases with nobody out. Preaus then singled to left, driving in two more runs. Beck then laid down a bunt that scored Gashel to make it 9-5 in favor of Tech. Montgomery then hit a two-out double to right center, plating Preaus to make it 10-5.
Western came back again in the sixth, getting five straight hits to start the inning. Cattell singled and Townsend doubled to put runners at second and third. Miller and Cleland each had RBI singles and Fox had a pinch-hit single to load the bases. Jerry Cecil (Jr., Louisville, Ky.) then had an RBI groundout to make it 10-8. Houdek followed with a single up the middle, plating two runs to tie the game 10-10. However, Louisiana Tech regained the lead in the bottom off the sixth off reliever Matt Wilhite (So., Franklin, Ky.). Cauley led off the inning with a double and Adams homered over the wall in left to give Tech a 12-10 lead. Kevin Sadowski (Sr., Cresthill, Ill.) came in and retired the Bulldogs to give WKU a chance in the seventh.
The Hilltoppers took advantage as Cattell reached on an error to start the inning, and after Townsend struck out, Miller hit his second home run of the day to tie the game 12-12. In the bottom of the seventh Preaus led off with a single and moved to second on a sacrifice bunt by Beck. After an intentional walk to Robinson, Montgomery singled to right and Cleland was unable to come up with the ball allowing Preus to score and give Tech the 13-12 win.
Sadowski (1-4) took the loss in game two, while Belch (1-2) suffered the loss in game one. Hutchison got a no decision in game one going 5.0 innings in game one, allowing three runs on seven hits and striking out five to give him 258 strikeouts in his four-year Hilltopper career.
The two teams will play the final game of the series tomorrow at 1 p.m. (CDT).
-- WKU --
