May 12, 2001
Ruston, La. - The Western Kentucky baseball team concluded the regular season with a 7-5 win over Louisiana Tech on Sunday. With the win, the Hilltopper clinched the fourth seed in next week's Sun Belt Conference Tournament in Lafayette, La.
Western (31-25, 14-13 SBC) struck early, getting a run in the first inning. LF Matt Fox (Sr., Louisville, Ky.) led off with a double to the right-center field gap. Hilltopper starting pitcher Brian Houdek (Sr., Dyer, Ind.) followed with a bunt single putting runners at the corners. 1B D.J. Johnson (So., Hudson, Ky.) then grounded out to first, allowing Fox to score and give WKU a 1-0 lead. The Toppers added one more in the second as CF Dane Bourque (Jr., Gonzalez, La.) led off with a single. After moving to second on a balk by Tech starter Adam Kirkendall, Bourque went to third on a single to left by RF Tim Cleland (Sr., Klamath Falls, Ore.). 2B Patrick Ransdell (Jr., Bowling Green, Ky.) then pushed a bunt passed the mound and was safe on the play, allowing Bourque to score and make it a 2-0 WKU lead.
The Bulldogs (30-24, 12-14 SBC)) got one back in the bottom of the second as 1B Tim Meadows led off the inning with a home run to left off Houdek, making it a 2-1 game. Tech came back to take the lead with two runs in the third. Houdek hit 3B Nick Cauley to put a runner on first with one out. RF Jake Adams followed with a home run that just cleared the short porch in left, giving the Bulldogs a 3-2 lead.
However, Western regained the lead again in the fourth inning. Cleland got things started by hitting a one-out home run to left, tying the score 3-3. Ransdell then drew a walk and moved to second on a wild pitch. Catcher Brian Polson (Jr., Louisville, Ky.) then singled to right, driving in Ransdell. Polson, who had moved to second on the throw to the plate, went to third on a wild pitch and scored on a bunt by Fox, giving Western a 5-3 advantage.
Tech played long ball again in the fifth as Cauley hit a two-out solo home run to left center, making it a one-run game once again at 5-4. The Bulldogs then tied the game with a run in the sixth. DH Cullen Simmons singled up the middle with one out and after stealing second, scored on a double to left by CF Dan Preaus to even the score 5-5.
Western responded with a run in the seventh to retake the lead. Fox led off with a double off the center-field wall and moved to third on a sacrifice bunt by Houdek. Johnson the lifted a sacrifice fly deep to right, driving home Fox to give the Toppers a 6-5 lead. Western added another run in the eighth as Cleland hit his second home run of the game with two outs, putting WKU on top 7-5.
John Bartsch (Sr., Auburn, Calif.) shut down the Bulldogs in the final two innings to record his first save of the year. Houdek (7-3) picked up the win going 7.0 innings, allowing five runs on nine hits while striking out nine. Fox and Cleland each had three hits to lead the Western offense.
The Hilltoppers will travel down the state to Lafayette to prepare for the start of the Sun Belt Conference Tournament on Wednesday. Western's first-round game time and opponent will not be determined until the conclusion of games on Sunday.
-- WKU --
