May 11, 2003
Bowling Green, Ky. - For the second time in the three-game series the Western Kentucky baseball team took advantage of an Arkansas-Little Rock miscue in extra-innings as it scored a balk in the bottom of the tenth Sunday at Nick Denes Field to get a 3-2 Sun Belt Conference win.
The Hilltoppers, who won 7-6 in 13 innings on a passed ball Friday night, improved to 27-20 and evened their conference record at 10-10. The win coupled with Florida International's 15-5 loss to Arkansas State moved WKU into fourth place in the league. The sweep was Western's first since taking three from the Golden Panthers last season at Nick Denes Field.
The Trojans fell to 28-23 and 8-13 in the Sun Belt.
Tied at two going into the bottom of the tenth, Matt Gunning (Jr., Victoria, B.C.) singled to right. Pinch runner Michael Wilhite (Fr., Franklin, Ky.) moved to second on a sacrifice bunt by senior Trevor Keesling (Hagerstown, Ind.). After going to third on a ground out by Matt Robinson (Fr., Louisville, Ky.), Michael Wilhite scored on balk by the Trojans' Brad Cherry. Cherry, who fell to 6-5, had scattered seven hits in 6-2/3 innings of relief and fanned six.
. Hilltoppers reliever Matt Wilhite (Sr., Franklin, Ky.) got his second win of the weekend. Wilhite, who had pitched seven innings of scoreless baseball on Friday, pitched 1-2/3 innings of perfect baseball on Sunday to improve to 7-2. Grady Hinchman (So., Anderson, Ind.) started the game for WKU and allowed one run on seven hits in 6-1/3 innings.
Rafael Vallejo (So. The Bronx, N.Y.) scored the Hilltoppers first two runs of the game in the first and third innings. In the first, Vallejo walked and went to second on a bunt single by Matt Johnston (Jr., Clarkson, Ky.). The Trojans Bennett Cromer, who made his second start in as many days, loaded the bases when he hit Matt Gunning (Jr., Victoria, B.C.). With the bases full, Vallejo scored when Antone Towns (So., Louisville, Ky.) hit in to a double play.
In the third, Vallejo again led off the inning with a walk. He was safe at second on a ground out by Johnston and went to third a ground ball by Gunning. Towns singled to left-center driving in Vallejo.
The Trojans cut WKU's lead in half in the top of the sixth. Arkansas-Little Rock got back-to-back singles off Hinchman by Santino Dewreede and Rick Guarno. A sacrifice bunt by Joe Mercer moved each runner up a base. Dewreede scored on a sacrifice fly to center field by Chris Julo.
UALR threatened in the top of the seventh when it loaded the bases with one out. Hinchman gave up singles to Brodie Ward and Matt Spatafora, before being relieved by Igor Roiberg (Jr., Toronto, Ontario). Roiberg walked the first batter he faced to load the bases, but got Dewreede to line into a double play ending the threat.
The Trojans evened the game at two in the eighth. Roiberg walked Guarno to begin the inning. Guarno went to second on a sacrifice by Mercer. After replacing Roiberg, Joe Shortt (Jr., South Hempstead, N.Y.) threw a wild pitch allowing Guarno to score the tying run.
Western had a chance to win the game in the bottom of the ninth when David Lower (Sr., Anderson, Ind.) reached on a one-out double. He advanced to third on a wild pitch but was stranded there.
Freshman Dennis Winn (Bowling Green, Ky.) had a team-high three hits as Western pounded out 11. Johnston and Gunning each added two. Spatafora led the Trojans with three hits.
The Hilltoppers travel to Kentucky on Tuesday before closing out their home schedule on Wednesday with a 6 p.m. (CST) game with Eastern Kentucky. Western closes out the regular season next weekend with a three-game series at New Orleans.
