May 25, 2001

Box Score in PDF Format
Download Free Acrobat Reader

NOTRE DAME, Ind. - Notre Dame scored nine times in the bottom of the fourth inning and Aaron Heilman won his 15th game of the season as the Fighting Irish beat UWM, 12-4, in the first game of the South Bend Regional Friday evening.

Scott Gillitzer had two hits and drove in all four runs for the Panthers (39-17), who will play Saturday at noon against California-Santa Barbara. UCSB was beaten by Florida International, 17-4, in a game that ended at 12:45 a.m. Saturday.

After Notre Dame scored a run in the bottom of the first inning, Gillitzer drove in Matt Houk with a single to tie the game in the third. Gillitzer also hit a three-run home run to right field in the eighth, just the third home run Heilman has given up this season.

"Scott Gillitzer is one of the finest players we've ever had at UWM," head coach Jerry Augustine said. "He's very quick with his bat. I'm looking forward to him taking the next step and doing very well there."

The two hits gave Gillitzer his 32nd multi-hit game, a school record. Gillitzer is also 7-for-9 in two games at Frank Eck Stadium, having gone 5-for-6 in UWM's 14-3 win over Notre Dame in 2000.

The Fighting Irish (47-11-1) broke the game open in the fourth. Panther starter Quintin Oldenburg (9-4) was knocked out of the game by four hits and three walks in the inning, and reliever Rob Erickson surrendered a three-run home run to Alex Porzel and a solo home run to Brian Stavisky. Notre Dame scored two more times in the eighth off reliever Kyle Raeder. The nine runs in the fourth inning are the most UWM has given up in a single inning this season.

"I said yesterday that when you play a team the caliber of Notre Dame you have to play very, very well," Augustine said. "You especially have to pitch very well, and we did not do that tonight. We had that one bad inning and it took the life out of us to start the game."

"The first game of the tournament is just so critical," Notre Dame head coach Paul Mainieri said. "I am glad we got that one under our belts. I think it is very key, especially in a game where the players are a little tight, to get an early lead. That is especially true with Aaron pitching because we know he is going to keep the lead."

The start of the game was delayed two hours and 24 minutes by rain.