May 21, 2008

Box Score |  Action Photos 

LAFAYETTE, LA - A first-pitch at 9:02 a.m. and eight Western Kentucky University runs in the first two innings made for a long opening-day at the 2008 Sun Belt Conference Baseball Championships for the Owls.

Sophomore right-hander Matt Ridings kept Florida Atlantic University's explosive offense in check, throwing seven shutout innings, which was the perfect complement to WKU's early offense. Fifth-seeded Western Kentucky (30-24) cruised, winning 9-0.

Fourth-seeded Florida Atlantic (29-26-1) remains alive in the eight-team, double-elimination tournament, but must work its way through the loser's bracket.

"It was big," said Western Kentucky head coach Chris Finwood on his team's early lead. "When you have your best guy on the mound and you get a big lead like we did today I think that it gives everyone a lot of confidence."

Jake Wells hit a two-out double as part of a five-run first inning for WKU. Five of the first six Hilltoppers reached base to begin the game against FAU ace Jeff Beliveau. A walk and a hit batter preceded four WKU hits, generating five immediate runs and a 5-0 WKU lead.

Beliveau (4-4) needed 42 pitches to get the game's first three outs and was knocked around in the tune of four more hits in the second inning. Wade Gaynor drove in WKU's seventh run ending Beliveau's day after just 1 1/3 innings- by far his shortest start of the year.

The outing was atypical for Beliveau, who had come into Wednesday morning's start limiting opposing hitters to a .209 batting average and ranking 20th among all Division I pitchers in hits allowed per nine innings (6.4).

Ridings (10-2) gave up three singles in the FAU second inning, which loaded the bases with two-outs and put FAU in a situation to cut into the big deficit. Ridings however struck out Nick Arata to end the inning and FAU's only real threat to tighten the game up.

"A lot of people look at your hitters and blame them but you can't blame them, its good pitching that stops you," said FAU head coach Kevin Cooney. "When you can get guys on base and then the pitcher can close out the inning like (Ridings) did then you are going to win."

Brandon Kloess, a senior from Montgomery, Alabama, pitched well, throwing a season-high 7 2/3 innings of one-run baseball in relief of Beliveau.

But FAU managed just two base runners in the final five innings- making the later innings feel like a mere formality.

The Owls will draw the loser of this afternoon's third game. Top-seeded University of Louisiana-Monroe (33-22) or eighth-seed Middle Tennessee State University (27-27-1) will be FAU's opponent at 9 a.m. Thursday morning.

"Tomorrow is another day," Cooney told his players after the game. "If you want to keep your season going you have to come out and play hard."

GAME NOTES: Florida Atlantic had defeated Western Kentucky, two-of-three, during the teams' regular season series at FAU Stadium in late April... FAU's six hits was its third-lowest hit-total of the season... In his previous four outings Beliveau had lasted an average of 7+ innings and held a 2.20 ERA in those four starts... Mike McKenna's single in the eighth inning extended his hitting streak to 13 games... Chad Cregar hit a solo homer in the fourth, it was his league-leading 20th.... Cregar becomes just the sixth Hilltopper batter to hit 20 in a single season... It was WKU's third shutout of the year and first in conference tournament play since 1999... FAU was shutout for just the second time in 56 games this season.

-Nick Mirkovich (FAU Media Relations)-