ATHENS, Ga. - Freshman starter Nick Smith picked up his first
career victory and Western Illinois (4-6) pounded out 12 hits Sunday (March
4) in a 7-4 victory over No. 8 Georgia (10-2) in the series finale at Foley
Field.
Smith (1-0) allowed six hits and four runs (two earned) over
7 2/3 innings on the mound. He struck out seven batters and walked four. Western
Illinois roughed up Bulldog starter Taylor Hicks (2-1), who allowed four runs
on six hits in two innings of work.
Ryan Cowhey had a big day with two hits, two walks, four
stolen bases and two runs scored. Austin Cowen went 2-for-4 at the plate with a RBI and run scored. Matt Igara singled in a run in the fourth
inning and has reached base in eight consecutive contests. Cowhey, Cowen and
Igara are all riding five-game hitting streaks.
Rich Mascheri, Jameson Henning and Manny Reyes drove in runs during the Fighting Leathernecks' four-run second inning, which featured six hits. Tom Lilja went 2-for-5 while Dan Dispensa and Vince Howard both singled and scored a run.
Georgia got on the scoreboard first with two runs in the
bottom of the first inning. Curt Powell led off with a single to left field and
advanced to third on a groundout and passed ball. Kyle Farmer drove home Powell
with a single and advanced two bases on a wild pitch. He then scored on Levi Hyams' groundout to
Lilja at first base.
Western's four-run second inning started with Lilja's single
to centerfield. Cowhey followed with an infield single to shortstop and Howard
reached on a bunt single to load the bases. Henning delivered a clutch single
to left field to score Lilja and Reyes followed with a sacrifice fly to score Cowhey.
Howard advanced to third on Reyes' sacrifice fly and ran home on Farmer's
throwing error at shortstop. Mascheri capped the scoring with a single to center
field that scored Henning.
Cowhey doubled to left field in the third inning and stole third
base but was stranded when Howard was picked off at first base. With two outs
in the fourth inning, Dispensa was hit by a pitch and Cowen tripled him home for the
Leathernecks' fifth run. Igara followed with a single to left field and Cowen
scored to extend the lead to 6-2.
Smith loaded the bases in the bottom half of the fourth
inning but got Brett DeLoach to ground into a fielder's choice to end the
threat. Cowhey scored all by himself in the fifth inning. He led off the inning
with a walk, stole two bases and trotted home on DeLoach's throwing error.
Seth Fuller relieved Smith with two on and two outs in the
eighth inning after Georgia had pushed across two runs. Fuller got Brandon Stephens
to fly out to right field and Western held on to a three-run lead heading into the
ninth inning.
Fuller allowed a one-out single to Conor Welton in the ninth
inning but got Farmer and Hyams to fly out to end the game. He faced five batters over
1 1/3 innings to earn his second save of the season.
Western Illinois travels to Bowling Green, Kentucky, next weekend
(March 9-11) for a three-game series with Western Kentucky at Nick Denes Field.
The Hilltoppers are 4-7 overall this season following a series win over Kent State.
#WIUAthletics
