Weevils Still Winless After 7-5 Loss to Northwest Missouri State on Monday
February 25, 2008

MONTICELLO, Ark. – Northwest Missouri State’s Britt Westman smashed a go-ahead three-run homerun over the right field wall in the top of the eighth inning that eventually gave the Bearcats a 7-5 win over the University of Arkansas at Monticello Boll Weevils, leaving UAM winless almost a month into the season.
 
The Weevils extended its lead to 5-3 in the bottom half of the seventh inning when senior Chris Whatley (Sachse, Texas) sent a two-run blast over the left field fence, scoring himself and teammate Lance Labeff (West Monroe, La.), who reached on a fielder’s choice earlier in the inning.
 
Weevil Head Coach Ron Hill sent sophomore hurler Kyle Thaxton (Blytheville, Ark.) to the mound for his fourth start of the season. Thaxton pitched seven full innings in the no decision, allowing only five runs (four earned) off six hits, striking out five and walking only two of the 30 batters he faced.
 
Whatley went 1-for-4 at the plate with his homerun and also recorded the loss, allowing Westman’s go-ahead homerun in the top of the eighth. Whatley (0-2) allowed two runs off four hits in his two full innings of work.
 
Sophomore Matt Gardner (West Monroe, La.) went 1-for-3 at the plate with one RBI, while junior Ben Turner (Greenville, Miss.), freshman Ben Miller (El Dorado, Ark.), senior Ryan Pilcher (West Monroe, La.), and sophomore Lance Labeff (West Monroe, La.) all were responsible for the rest of the Weevil hits.
 
UAM drops to 0-11 overall this season, and will look for its first win tomorrow (Feb. 26), when the team hosts Mississippi Valley State for a single nine-inning game starting at 2 p.m. at Weevil Field.