BOWLING GREEN, Ky. (4-19-2008) ? The Western Kentucky Hilltoppers (22-16, 9-8) broke a 3-3 tie with three runs in the bottom of the fourth, then held off a late Arkansas State rally and went on to defeat the Indians 7-6 Saturday afternoon in game two of a Sun Belt Conference series at Nick Denes Field.
Trailing 6-4 heading into the eighth, ASU (16-23, 5-12) closed within a run at 6-5, but Western Kentucky answered with a run in the bottom of the inning to go back up by two at 7-5. The Indians scored again in the ninth and got the tying run in scoring position and the go-ahead run to first, but Hilltopper first baseman Jake Wells snagged a line drive off the bat of ASU sophomore Cody Pace to record the final out.
With the win, the Hilltoppers clinched the weekend series, going up 2-0 after winning Friday night's game one, 8-1.
Western Kentucky was able to score twice in the second and once in the third before the Indians were able to get on the board with three runs in the fourth to knot the score at 3-3. The Hilltoppers used a sacrifice fly from second baseman Matt Payton to score the game's first run, and center fielder Scott Kaskie singled to drive in a run later in the second. A base hit from catcher Matt Rice in the third drove in a run to make it 3-0, Western Kentucky, before ASU came alive in the fourth.
Junior third baseman Guy Brown led off the fourth with a double, advanced to third on a sacrifice bunt from senior shortstop Ryan Hudgins and scored on a single from freshman designated hitter Murray Watts. Senior left fielder A.J. Prickel made his first hit of the season count when he sent a home run over the left field wall to even the score at 3-3.
Hilltopper shortstop Terrence Dayleg broke the tie in the bottom of the inning with an RBI single and eventually scored on a passed ball for the 5-3 WKU lead, and Western Kentucky added another run in the inning when left fielder Matt Hightower singled before scoring on a ground-out from third baseman Matt Gaynor to stretch the Hilltopper advantage to 6-3.
Arkansas State cut the Hilltopper advantage to 6-4 in the sixth when Watts doubled and scored on a double from center fielder Derrick Coleman. Watts doubled again in the eighth with one out on the board, and sophomore Cody Pace, in to pinch-run for Watts, scored on a two-out RBI single from Prickel to put the Tribe within a run at 6-5.
Western Kentucky answered with solo home run from Wells in the bottom of the frame to go back up by two at 7-5 before ASU challenged again in the ninth.
The Indian rally began when junior second baseman Brandon Eller was hit by a pitch to get aboard with one out. Eller moved to second on a single from junior catcher Lawson Hipps and scored on a two-out single from Hudgins to pull the Tribe within a run at 7-6. With runners at first and second, Pace hit what looked to be a line drive into right field, but Wells made a leaping catch to seal the win for the Hilltoppers.
Watts went 3-for-3 with an RBI, Prickel went 2-for-3 with three runs driven in, and Brown went 3-for-5 to lead the Indians at the plate. Rice and right fielder Matt Bracken each had two hits to lead the ?Toppers.
Junior Jacob Maggard took the loss on the hill for Arkansas State. Maggard (3-4) went three and one-third innings against the Hilltoppers, giving up four runs on six hits with one walk and one strikeout. Sophomore Jordan Kimball worked four and two-thirds innings in relief, surrendering three runs on three hits while striking out five and walking none.
Matt Ridings (7-2) picked up the win for Western Kentucky, giving up four runs on nine hits. Ridings struck out seven batters and walked three.
The Indians and Hilltoppers will wrap up the series Sunday at 1 p.m.
