FIU’s Sun Belt hopes dashed with 8-3 loss

Friday May 23, 2003

FIU’s Sun Belt hopes dashed with 8-3 loss
Box Score

A huge fourth inning for Western Kentucky doomed the Florida International baseball team Friday evening, as the Golden Panthers fell 8-3 in the Sun Belt Conference Tournament at “Tigue” Moore Field in Lafayette, La. The loss eliminated the Golden Panthers from the tournament and may have ended their season.

In the fourth inning, WKU knocked in five runs on six consecutive hits to break the game open. Travis Brown and Matt Gunning singled to put runners on the corners. David Lower then singled to right field for an RBI and Rafael Vallejo hit an RBI single to center. After that, Matt Johnston singled through the right side for his own RBI and Tim Grogan capped the scoring with a two-run double to right center, making the score 7-2.

FIU had grabbed the first lead of the ballgame in the bottom of the first inning. Freshman infielder Luis Rivera led the game off for the Golden Panthers with a triple to right center field, and freshman designated hitter Bryan Pullin knocked him home with a groundout to the shortstop.

Kevin Bearden retook the lead for the Hilltoppers in the second inning with a two-run home run down the right field line. Trevor Keesling walked on the previous play.

Rivera and Pullin teamed up for another run in third inning. Rivera singled to the shortstop and stole second on the next play. Pullin then got him home again, this time with a double, and the Golden Panthers tied the score at 2-2.

After the WKU scoring binge in the fourth, the Golden Panthers got one of the runs back in the bottom of the stanza when senior outfielder Adam Summerell hit his second home run against the Hilltoppers in three days, a solo shot to left field that cut the score to 7-3.

An RBI double from Bearden in the seventh gave WKU back a five-run lead and accounted for the final margin.

Western Kentucky advances to face Middle Tennessee State in the Tournament Final tomorrow evening at 7:30 p.m. The Golden Panthers (36-23) now await their fate with the NCAA selection committee, who may tap FIU as an at-large bid for Regional play Monday.