March 23, 2002
LITTLE ROCK, Ark. - Arkansas-Little Rock used a three-run eighth inning to come from behind and defeat Western Kentucky Saturday, 8-6, in the second matchup of a three-game series at Curran Conway Park. The win snaps a nine-game losing streak for the Trojans (14-13, 1-1 Sun Belt), and is the first loss in four contests for the Hilltoppers (15-7, 1-1 Sun Belt).
WKU got on the board first, scoring a single run in the top of the first inning when Ryan Cattell (Sr., Minnetonka, Minn.) launched his third home run of the season over the left-field wall to give the Toppers the early 1-0 lead.
UALR took the lead in its half of the first, plating two runs courtesy of an RBI double from Kevin Kouzmanoff that tied the score, and a Derek Santangelo RBI single that gave the Trojans a 2-1 advantage after one.
Western answered in the top of the second, plating three runs without a single hit. Ryan Arnett (Fr., Palestine, Ind.) scored when Tanner Townsend (Sr., London, Ky.) was hit by Trojan starter Bennett Cromer with the bases loaded, and Travis Brown (Jr., Kankakee, Ill.) took advantage of a bases-loaded walk to cross home plate and make it a 3-2 Topper lead. WKU made it a 4-2 game courtesy of another Trojan mishap, as David Lower (Jr., Alexandria, Ind.) scored on a passed ball.
The Hilltoppers retained their lead until the bottom of the fourth when UALR scored three runs, highlighted by an Adam Coleman RBI single that brought the Trojans to within two. With two outs, UALR took the lead, plating two runs on a wild pitch by WKU starter J.C. Faircloth (Fr., Jacksonville, Fla.) to make it a 5-4 contest.
After a scoreless fifth, Western knotted the score at five in the top of the sixth when Lower scored from second on a Townsend RBI single to left.
With neither squad able to move ahead in the seventh, Lower put the Toppers back in the lead in the top of the eighth with an RBI single that scored Trevor Keesling (Jr., Pendleton, Ind.), making it a 6-5 game.
Unfortunately, the Trojans answered, scoring three runs in the bottom of the eighth, highlighted by a Kouzmanoff double that plated two runs. UALR held off the Hilltopper rally in the top of the ninth, retiring WKU 1-2-3 to preserve the 8-6 win.
Arkansas-Little Rock used four pitchers to give up a combined four hits, with Brad Cherry earning the win to improve to 1-1 on the year.
Faircloth allowed five runs on eight hits in 3 2/3 innings, while Andy Baldwin (So., Campbellsville, Ky.) earned the loss, giving up two runs on three hits to fall to 2-3 on the season.
The Hilltoppers and Trojans conclude the series Sunday, with first-pitch set for 1 p.m. (CST) at Curran Conway Park.
