April 11, 2002

Box Score

MILWAUKEE - The UWM baseball team took full advantage of its first opportunity to play at Henry Aaron Field this season, sweeping Wisconsin Lutheran 6-1 and 18-5 Thursday afternoon.

Three Panther pitchers combined to allow just two hits in the first game while UWM exploded for 15 runs in its final three at bats in the nightcap.

Cory Kleeba and Jeremy Leibfried each earned their first career victories for UWM (6-10), which snapped a six-game losing streak and won its home opener for the eighth-straight time.

In game one, Ben Beno collected three hits and Steve Guden added two more as the Panthers scored three times in the third and three times in the fifth. Wisconsin Lutheran (7-7) scored its only run in the seventh.

In the nightcap, the Warriors scored three times in the third to take a 3-2 lead. But the Panthers tied the game in the bottom of the third then poured on the offense from there, scoring four times in the fourth, three times in the fifth and eight times in the sixth.

11 Panther players had at least one hit in the second contest, led by three hits from Troy Doering and two hits apiece from Dan Kardelis, Jeff Pitrof, P.J. Cannon and Charlie Reschke. The 18 runs and 17 hits in the second game each marked season highs for the Panthers.

UWM returns to action Friday afternoon at Henry Aaron Field, opening Horizon League play against Wright State. The contest begins at 3 p.m. and kicks off a four-game weekend series between the two teams.