March 29, 2003
Miami, Fla. - The Western Kentucky baseball team sizzled at the plate Saturday pounding out 16 hits - including back-to-back home runs in the fifth inning - en route to an 11-7 win over Florida International in Sun Belt Conference action. With the victory, WKU improves to 14-9 and 3-2 in Sun Belt action. FIU drops to 24-9 and 3-2 in the conference.
With the game tied at 7-7 in the eighth inning, the Hilltoppers scored fours runs in their next two at bats to get the win. In the eighth, Kevin Bearden (Sr., Tallahassee, Fla.) singled and, after going to second when David Lower (Sr., Anderson, Ind.) was hit by a pitch, moved to third on a sacrifice bunt by Rafael Vallejo (So., The Bronx, N.Y.). Trevor Keesling (Sr., Hagerstown, Ind.), running for Bearden, scored on a sacrifice fly by Matt Johnston (So, Clarkson, Ky.) off Arthur Santos, who got the loss.
In the ninth, WKU gave itself breathing room with three runs. The inning started with three straight singles. Antone Towns (So., Louisville, Ky.) led off with a hit, went to third on a single by Brent Miller (So., Muncie, Ind.) and scored on a liner by Matt Gunning (Jr., Victoria, B.C.). With one out, Matt Robinson (Fr., Louisville, Ky.) walked loading the bases. Lower then hit a sacrifice fly to left scoring Miller. Gunning scored the final run on a single by Matt Johnston.
Towns and Miller each had three hits for WKU and two runs scored. Towns tied a career-high with four RBI and Johnston two.
FIU had tied the game up with four runs in the seventh off starter Andy Baldwin (Jr., Campbellsville, Ky.) and reliever Matt Wilhite (Sr., Franklin, Ky.). The Golden Panthers took advantage of a walk and a hit batter to start the inning and then got back-to-back singles by Yahmed Yema and Luis Rivera. A walk to Michael Lopez brought in the second run of the inning. Yema and Rivera scored on fielder's choices to tie the game.
Wilhite didn't allow a hit in the final two innings to get the win and improve to 2-1.
Western had jumped out a 7-3 lead as back-to-back home runs by Towns and Miller sparked a 5-run, fifth inning. Johnston reached on a one-out single and Tim Grogan (Fr., Villa Hills, Ky.) walked bringing Towns to the plate. The left-hander went then hit an opposite field home run that got stuck in the netting in front of the scoreboard in left. Miller followed with a solo shot to left center off starter Derek DeCarlo. Gunning, who doubled down the line in right, scored the fifth run of the inning on a single to left by Bearden.
The Golden Panthers struck in the bottom getting a run with no hits. Luis Rivera drew a lead off walk off Baldwin and raced his way to third when Mike Lopez grounded out to third. Rivera then crossed the plate when Adam Summerell hit a roller to short. Baldwin allowed just three hits in six innings, but walked four and hit two in giving up five runs - four earned.
The hosts added two more runs in the second. Skipton Adams reached on a single up the middle, stole second and moved to third on a wild pitch. The second run crossed the plate on a strange play. With runners on first and second, Yema hit a sharp ground to shallow left that Lower fielded and threw James Bacon out on third on the force play. Yema tried to go to second on the play, but Michael New was standing on the bag. Baldwin chased Yema back towards first and tried to throw Yema out as he got closer to the bag but threw the ball away allowing New to score from second for a 3-0 lead.
The Hilltoppers cut their deficit to one run scoring twice in the third. Lower and Vallejo singled to start the inning. A sac bunt by Johnston moved both runners a base closer. Lower scored on a sacrifice fly by Grogan to make it 3-2.
The two teams will close out their series on Sunday at 1 p.m. EST.
