OXFORD, Miss. — Third-seeded Western Kentucky University (40-18) turned in a six-run first and left no doubt in rolling past second-seeded Missouri (34-26) 11-5 in the opening game of the 2009 NCAA Oxford Regional at Oxford-University Field on the campus of Ole Miss. In reaching the 40-win plateau for the first time in 21 years, the Hilltoppers advance in the winners bracket to face either #8 Mississippi or Monmonth on Saturday evening at 5:00 PM CT.
Missouri, with a 16-11 record in the Big 12 this season, opted to hold back staff ace Kyle Gibson and trotted out Nick Tepesch to face the best-hitting team in the field. Gibson was 10-3 in the regular season with a 3.47 ERA and 123 strikeouts in 98.2 innings. The Toppers, however, knocked Tepesch (6-5) out after just 1.0 inning of work as the sophomore righthander surrendered six runs, five earned, on three hits and three walks.
Wade Gaynor delivered the big blow of the inning with a three-run homer just inside the fair poll in left field. It was the 23rd of the season for the junior third baseman. After a Chad Cregar walk, Matt Rice singled through the right side, setting up Terrence Dayleg's double that sliced toward the right field line, past a diving Ryan Lollis, scoring Cregar to make it 4-0. Dayleg tied a career-high with four hits, going 4-for-5 with three runs scored.
Jared Andreoli's RBI groundout to second base plated Rice as WKU led 5-0 before the Tigers recorded their first out of the game. Dayleg would come home on a Tepesch wild pitch to complete the six-run inning.
Seven differenct Toppers had base hits while six drove in at least one run. The top three in the WKU line-up combined for seven RBI as Matt Payton and Matt Hightower each had two RBI. Rice finished 3-for-5 to hit safely in an impressive 53 of 57 games played this season.
Payton increased the margin to 8-0 in the top of the third with a two-out, two RBI single through the right side of the infield.
Junior righthander Matt Ridings (8-2) was dominant through three complete innings, striking out six of the 10 Missouri hitters he faced, not allowing a hit and walking just one. Lollis led off the fourth with a double to finally tally the Tigers first hit. Ridings went 6.1 innings, allowing four earned runs on five hits and four walks, fanning eight in notching his 25th career victory, now second all-time in WKU history.
Evan Teague tossed 2.2 innings of hitless relief, walking two and striking out three while allowing one run.
The Tigers got on the board in the fourth on a three-run home run by Aaron Senne to cut the deficit to 8-3, but Ridings quickly retired the next three batters he faced to end the frame.
WKU countered with another two-out, two RBI hit, this time from Hightower in the top of the fifth, to make it 10-3. Rice added a solo shot in the eighth as the Hilltoppers won in convincing fashion 11-5.
No Missouri batter had more than one hit on the day as the top five in the line-up accounted for four of the team's five hits.
TEAM NOTES:
• WKU improves to 2-0 all-time against Missouri after the first meeting between the programs in 28 years
• WKU records its 40th win of the season, the first 40-win campaign for the Hilltoppers in 21 years (1988), and the fifth in the 90-year history of the program
• WKU improves to 4-5 all-time against the Big 12 Conference
• The six-run first inning by the Hilltoppers was their biggest first frame outburst this season
• The 6,271 fans in attendance marks the largest crowd the Hilltoppers have played in front of this season
• With 512 runs scored on the season, that is second most in school history, trailing the 1988 team's record of 518
• With two home runs on the night, WKU has 82 on the season and trails the 1981 squad by four for third all-time
• WKU evens its record at 2-2 in neutral site games this year
• WKU improves to 26-9 when scoring first
• WKU improves to 28-4 when outhitting their opponent
• WKU is a perfect 24-0 when scoring 10 or more runs in a game
• WKU improves to 31-2 when holding its opponent to five runs or less
• It was the 27th game this season that WKU, the nation's fourth best fielding team, did not committ an error
• WKU improves to 30-5 when leading after six innings
• WKU improves to 27-2 when leading after seven innings (won 14-straight)
• WKU improves to 29-1 when leading after eight innings (won 15-straight)
• WKU improves to 31-11 when smacking 10 or more hits
• WKU improves to 25-2 when holding their opponent to nine or fewer hits
INDIVIDUAL NOTES:
• Sophomore catcher Matt Rice went 3-for-5 to hit safely in 53 of 57 games played this season
• Terrence Dayleg's 4-for-5 performance tied a season and career-high for hits in a game (set on April 1 against Lipscomb and three times last season)
• Senior reserve catcher CJ Wamsley recorded his first double of the season in a pinch hitting role in the ninth inning
• With the win, Matt Ridings is now 8-2 on the season and 25-8 for his career, moving past Heath Haynes (1988-91) for second place all-time in school history in victories, now trailing only Ryan Hutchison (1998-2001) by three wins
• Junior third baseman Wade Gaynor hit his 23rd home run of the season, tying Mike Williams (1980) for third most in a single season in WKU history; he already ranks third in career home runs, now with 41
• Gaynor moves into a tie for fifth with Matt Gunning (2004) for most RBI in a single season with 73
• Rice's three hits give him 93 on the season, moving into sole possession of third all-time
NCAA TOURNAMENT NOTES:
• The 11 runs scored by WKU is the second most all-time by the Hilltoppers in NCAA Tournament play, trailing only the 1980 team's NCAA opener against Vanderbilt, a 15-4 win
• WKU records the program's first NCAA Tournament win since a 1-0 upset of Mississippi in 2004
• WKU improves to 4-6 all-time in NCAA Tournament play (fourth appearance)
• WKU is making the program's first-ever at-large appearance in the NCAA Tournament
• WKU improves to 4-3 all-time versus the regional field: Mississippi (2-3), Missouri (2-0), and Monmouth (0-0)
• WKU improves to 2-0 in NCAA Tournament opening games played in Oxford, Miss.
• Senior outfielder Chad Cregar returns to his hometown of Oxford, Miss. for NCAA Tournament play
POSTGAME QUOTES:
WKU Head Coach Chris Finwood
Opening Statement:
“I thought our kids came out and played a solid ballgame. We talked about coming out with a lot of energy. We certainly did that. Getting six in the first inning was big. Matt (Ridings) settled in and pitched a really solid ballgame for us. We defended the field well, and we had a lot of big hits. It was a good effort overall by our ball club.”
On Western Kentucky’s upset win over Ole Miss in 2004:
“I wasn’t here then, so obviously that is news to me. That was a big win in 2004. It’s amazing to think that when you play a regional, the score was 1-0. We’re awful happy to get this first one in the books and to get a win.”
On Missouri not pitching ace Kyle Gibson:
“We talked a little bit about it. We didn’t want to get caught up in all of that. To be honest with you, I’m glad they didn’t. Obviously they were thinking the other way when we got six runs in the first innings. They know their ball club a lot better than any of us do. They thought a lot about what they are trying to do to win this regional, but we are trying our best to win it. We didn’t get caught up. It was more about coming out there and competing.”
Junior Third Baseman Wade Gaynor:
On Missouri not pitching ace Kyle Gibson:
“I think there was definitely extra motivation. They did what they thought they needed to. We can’t control who they pitch. We just went out there and were aggressive at the plate.”
On getting 12 hits versus Missouri:
“It was huge for us. Our hitting feeds off our pitching and our pitching feeds off our hitting. If you have seen us throughout the year, if we put up a big number in the first, it seems like we really get rolling that day.”
Junior Pitcher Matt Ridings:
On WKU’s six-run first inning:
“It’s always easier to pitch anytime you come off the first inning and get six runs. It takes pressure off of me. The last couple of outings, I have been struggling with a lead. We would get up 3-1 and the next thing I know I give up a couple of runs. I just made it a big point today to it a six-run lead for our offense. I put up a couple of zeros and let our offense get back out there and put up a couple of more runs.”
On playing in a regional before this weekend:
“It’s huge. It builds confidence. We coming out here and trying to this for all of the seniors. They got to regionals last year, and we just kind of happy to be there. We were soaking it all in. We got back this year, and we want to do some damage. I think we can. Just winning that first game on Friday adds confidence.”
Senior Shortstop Terrence Dayleg:
On WKU’s game plan:
“It was really simple- to go out there attack strikes. We did that well early in the game. We have been doing that the past couple of weeks. We took advantage of (Nick Tepesch’s) strikes, and we were aggressive. Aggressive is the main thing we were, and that is why we were so successful.”
